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SAMUEL AGNE^W,
OF P H IL A PELPHI A, PA.
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Tobias C]ri§]p,]D).
DIED FEB. 2 7. 16 42. A&ED 4.S
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rt<:^?-n^a^.,/l^yi^ {}-Cu^ ._
CHRIST ALONE EXALTED,
,'ERFECTION AND ENCOURAGEMENT OF THE SAINTS^
NOTWITHSTANDING SINS AND TRl\LS
BEING TVV
COMPLETE WORKS
TOBIAS CRISP, D.D.
FOalBTlMG MINISTER OP THE GOSPEL, AT BRINKWORTH, IN WILTSHIRE
CONTAINING
ON SEVERAL SELECT TEXTS OF SCRIPTURE.
TO WHICH ARE ADDEO
NOTES EXPLANATORY OF SEVERAL PASSAGES IN THEM,
WITH MEMOIRS OP THE DOCTOR'S LIFK, lii.<;.
BY JOHN GILL, D.D.
A NEW EDITION, BEING THE SEVENTH.
Mr. Cole, In his Treatise on Regeneration, says, • This Worlt savours of a true Gospel Spirit;
tliey who carp at it, 1 fear, will be found wider from the Gospel in their Principles, than thJs
Author fa« they vainly imagine) was in his.''
Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the Election of Grace. And
If by Grace, tlien is it no more of Works : otherwise Grace is no more Grace. But if it bo of
Works, then It is no more Grace : otherwise Work is no more Work.— Romans xi, 6, 6.
VOL. I.
fLonUon :
PRINTED FOR JOHN BENNETT,
4, THREE-TUN PASSAGE, IVY LANE, PATERNOSTER ROW.
MDCCCXXXII
TO THE
IMPARTIAL READER
Reader,
Truth needs no shield to shelter it ; her own bare breasts
ere armour of proof against all daring darts of ignorance and
pride ; and therefore walks fearless in the midst of all those
vollies of bitter words : whoever vaunts in putting on his
harness, Truth only triumphs m putting it off; this never quits
the field without the garland : God that calleth to the combat,
carrieth on with a conquering hand ; the gates of hell assault,
but prevail not: we can do nothing against the truth, but for
the truth. The prince of the air musters up his forces, and
retreats ; his black guard falls on with him, and are shamefully
beaten back ; kings with their armies fly before it ; the powers
of darkness, like Jehu, march against it, furiously they attempt
to storm : but at the brightness that is before this Sun, the thick
clouds remove ; one of truth subverts the tents of darkness.
AVhat is stronger than truth, whose going out is as the mornino-,
and riseth up to a glorious day? That ancient emblem is a
true image of truth ; a candle in a lanthorn, upon a hioh hill,
beleague u with tempestuous blasts, hangs out a flao- of de-
fiance, with this motto, Frustra. It is but lost labour, to di^y a
trench about that city for which the Lord hath appointed salva-
tion for walls and bulwarks ; but though it be secured from
subversion, yet it is not protected from opposition : you know
how it went with Christ ; was not his cradle cut out of the same
wood, of which his cross was made ? His first entrance upon
the stage of this world, portended a black day at his departing;
IT TO THE IMPARTIAL READER,
his sud 'en flight into Egypt from Herod's barbarous jealousy,
was but the prologue to that sad tragedy, which he ended on
Mount Calvary ; nor may his children or servants expect better
entertainment ; bonds or afflictions, or both, abide them that are
faithful ; they have called the master an impostor or glutton,
Beelzebub ; Is the servant above his Lord ? I know this servant
of truth hath had his share in suffering for it; envious men
pursue those that out-go them ; a Pharisee will stone any, even
Christ, that shall presume to teach them beyond their old
divinity. Much dirty geer hath been cast upon the author of
this book, \vhich, if it could have fastened on him, I were (by
special engagements) bound to wipe it off; but a false tongue
cannot make a guilty person : Rabsheka's railing made no
breach in Jerusalem's walls. Christ alone must be exalted, and
all flesh made his footstool.
But there be some who seek to darken the wisdom of God
with the works of men, and draw a specious veil over divine
mysteries, that so (it may be not intentionally) understanding is
hid from the simple ; these make a fair shew in the flesh. But I
had rather see the king in his plainest clothes, than his fool in a
painted coat. Where is the scribe ? where is the wise ? where is
the disputer of this world? the loftiness of man must be laid low,
his glory buried in the dust, all his perfections come to an end :
but if thou desirest to see truth in a comely dress, and clear
complexion, thou mayest have a full view thereof in this ensuing
discourse. Say not the treatise is too small to contain so Tast a
subject, but rather admire his skill that discovers so much of
heaven through so small a perspective. We applaud their art
that contract the wide world into the narrow compass of a
slender map : what a deal of worth is in a little diamond ? How
do men prize the dnst of gold ? Despise not small things ; say
not it is a little book; a little star may light thee to Christ;
great bodies have most humours ; grosser volumes commonly are
thickened with too much earth. If thou ask what is in this ? I
TO THE IMPARTIAL READER. ^
answer, as the voice once spake to Austin, Tolle lege : or as
Fhilip to Nathaniel, Come and see. If I should say all that J
know of the author, some that know me would say that I flatter
him, because of my relation to him in his life, though 1 know
there is little to be gotten by dead men's favour. But this I
shall be bold to affirm, there is no Antinomianism in the title or
tract ; and from all vicious licentiousness of life, and scandalous
aspersions cast on his person by lying lips, I stand upon my
own experience, and more than twelve years knowledge to v'n-
dicate him ; let the father of lies, and all his brood, come forth
to make good their charge against him. I fear not to appear in
his cause ; yea, if I should not open my mouth in his behalf,
whose industry and integrity God and his saints have so much
aj)proved, and from whose labours and yoke-fellow I have
reaped so much comfort, if yet I should be silent, I desire to
be marked with a black coal.
Try him now, and judge ; thou wilt find no poison in h«
hive ; no serpent lurks under his leaves ; Tolle ^ lege, come, an
see whether Jesus of Nazareth be not here ; not sealed up in a
sepulchre, and guarded with a rude train to keep his disciples
from him, as the high priests used to do ; but thou shalt find
him in his garden, opening his fountain, blowing on his spices,
leading into his banqueting-house, staying with flagons, com-
forting on every side : thou shalt find more in this book than 1
will promise ; only be persuaded to peruse it ; if thou lovest
thy rest, read it : here is news of dry land, footing for thy soul,
the olive-branch doth witness it ; fear not, be not dismayed ;
the waters are abated ; let not thy sloth make thee guilty of thy
misery. Will not the weather-beaten mariner employ all his
strength and oars to thrust into a quiet harbour ? Is any thing
more desired by the chased hart, than the cooling streams ?
How do men, pursued by the enemy, rejoice in the shelter of a
strong hold? Can any thing be more welcome to a notorious
oftender, justly condemned, than a gracious pardon ? Is not
VI TO THK IMPARTIAL READER.
God and his righteousness all this, and much more to a. pooi
creature in such conditions ? Behold a haven, a brook, a towsr,
a pardon, a full, a free pardon, a ransom for thy soul ; the
righteousness of God breaking through the sides, the hands, the
heart of Christ, to make way to thee, to revive thy dying,
drooping, bleeding heart. Incline thine ear, hearken for the
time to come ; hear, and thy soul shall live ; forsake not thine
own mercies, to observe lying vanities ; lean not to the reeds of
Egypt, Avhen thou hast the rod of God's strength put into thy
hand : shall there be a price in the hand, and no heart to it ? It
may be thy ieet have not yet stumbled, though thou hast walked
on the hills of earth, the mountains of the world, the high
mountains of the flesh, thy way hath been smooth and easy; so
is the wild ass's till her month overtake her : thy conscience,
perhaps, hath fancied some shadow of peace by the dull glim-
mering of an earthly spark : but they that walk in the light, at
last lie down in sorrow, Isaiah 1. 11.
Be not proud, -therefore, but give glory to God, before he
cause darkness, before he turn your light into the shadow of
death, and make it gross darkness ; that darkness that might be
felt, was not the least of the Egyptian plagues : v/^hat greater
torment than the conscience once sensible of being destitute of
the light of life ; the author's aim is to lead thee into Goshen,
to guide thy feet into the way of peace ; foUov/ him, walk in
the steps of the faith of our father Abraham, that faith, of
which circumcision was no cause, nor evidence to himself; for
he had it, and he knew he had it, before he was circum-
cised ; by this faith he gave glory to God: we give glory to the
robe of God's righteousness, when we put none of our own
under it to make it sit uneasy, nor wear any of our own upon it,
to obscure the full glory of it ; thou wilt fin ' this garment the
best fashion, and as well 1 eld forth ly this, as by any man,
whose intentions were to cover all blemishes, all sins, to hide all
lierormity with it, yet to shelter no lust nor sin under it I
TO THE IMPARTIAL READER. fli
might launch out into his life, and call in all his practice to
prove it ; but till more need require, I shall refer thee to Mr
R. L. in his preface to the first volume, and to the present trial
of his doctrine. Let a Christian heart moderate a critical eye,
and find fault who can. The God that once breathed the rich
knowledge of himself through the frail organs of this earthen
vessel, into the ears of those that heard him, now dart a greater
glory of his righteousness and grace into the eyes of all their
understandings that shall read him.
I know I can add no worth to this work ; it is of divine
value, it hath the stamp of heaven, the image of God is on it ;
the author is gone home, and yet living with the Lord, though
some think the saints die, and like the wicked, leave a stinit
behind them. I deny not the mortality of any, nor need I hang
this man's hearse with ordoriferous encomiums ; yet he that
visits his friend, though never so godly, in the grave, had need
tase a little frtinkincense in his hand, if he be buried among
men ; all the air in the world is so contagiously infected with
the stinking breath of ths living, that you cannot come near the
dead without a bundle of myrrh. Malice and madness, like a
gangrena, stands at the tomb and tent of every blessed soul,
crying, Noli me tangere. Of all men, one would have thought
so sweet a man as Christ had needed no spices in his sepulchre ;
for he did no evil, and he saw no corruption ; yet Joseph would
not inter his body without sweet odours, though Mary had
bestowed a whole box of precious ointment on his feet in his
life-time, but a little before his burial. Let the saints walk
never so wisely, warily, circumspectly ; let them keep their feet
as clean, as sweet as they can, they had need of their winding-
sheet and coffin perfumed ; I say not with the parasitical smoke
of a perfumed oration, but with a just vindication of their inno-
cency^ as occasion shall require. But I hope there will be need
of no engagement from me this way in the author's behalf; for
his two last sermons in this volume are a clear vindication of
Tin TO THE IMPARTIAL REAXlER,
him from those common aspersions laid upon him aitd the
doctrine he preached, which for that reason amongst others, has
now come into the world before their full growth, the authoi
being taken away before he could bring forth all his concep-
tions in the pursuit of those two subjects ; which we desire the
reader candidly to accept as the last breathings forth of the
spirit in that precious saint whilst he was below. But if this
stops not the mouth of envy, 1 shall not think any cost too
great to raise up and continue the memory of truth's favourites
and friends ; nor esteem any labour too much, whereby I may
approve myself the friend and servant of Christ Jesus and his
church, otherwise than which (by God's grace) thou shalt neAer
find.,
The Subject o^' Christ,
AniServaut of his Saints,
OLOaiG^h^
MEMOIRS OF T 11 E L I F E, btc
OP
TOBIAS CRISP, D.D^
Tobias Crisp descended both by father and mother from the richcrt
families of the city of London, in whicl* they had borne, the WooJ-s A.
thenw, voV
highest offices; he was the third son of Ellis Crisp, a rich mer- ll.p. il it.
chant and alderman of the said city, (as his father before him had been)
and was sheriff of the same when he died, Nov. 13, 1625. Sir Nicholas
Crisp was the elder brother of Tobias, a person of great capacity for
business, a rich and industrious merchant, was taken notice of at court in
the reign of King Charles the First, by whom he was knighted Biographia
and made one of the farmers of his customs ; he was a famous p.'^'i'5^22'
royalist in the times of the civil wars, did much service to the *'°-
king, and suffered much in his cause ; he was one of the committee sent by
the City of London to King Charles the Second, at Breda, to invite him
over, by whom he was received with peculiar marks of affection as his
father's old friend ; and, upon the king's restoration, was reinstated into
his post as one of the farmers of the customs, and was created a baronet,
April 16, 1665, and died Feb. 26, following.
Tobias was born in Bread-street, London, in the year 1600, and had his
education for grammar-learning in Eton School, near Windsor, and began
his academical studies in the University of Cambridge, where he continued
until he commenced bachelor of arts ; and from thence he removed to
Oxford, for the finishing of his studies, and attaining some certain parts of
learning, and was incorporated a member of Baliol College in wood's a-
Feb. 1626. When he received the degree of doctor in divinity is "'ens, ib.
not certain, only it appears, that upon the breaking out of the civil wars,
he had been of some years standing in that degree.
In the year 1627, and about the 27th year of his age, he became rector of
Brinkworth in Wiltshire, where he continued until the time of the civil
wars, and was much followed for his edifying way of preaching, wood, ih
»nd for his great hospitality to all persons that resorted to his house. His
VOL I. b
n MEM0IR8 OP THE LIFE, ETC.
niiv of preaching tended to edification, being spiritual and evangelical, and
suited to the case of souls made truly sensible of sin : and adapted to their
condition, and to the peace and comfort of them, as well as was plain and
familiar, and easy to be understood by those of the meanest capacity ; a3
appears by the following disOurses, in which he often illustrates the deepest
mysteries of grace by things common among men, and known to all. And.
as he had a plentiful estate of his own, he was liberal and hospitable to
strangers that came far and near to attend upon his ministry ; and, accord-
ing to good information from some of his descendants, an hundred persons,
yea, and many more, have been received and entertained in his house at one
ajid the same time, and ample provision made for man and horse.
He set out first in the legal way of preaching, in which he M-as exceeding
zealous, and had an earnest desire to glorify God in his life and ministry ;
nor did he seek for, but refused all worldly advancement, to which his M'ay
was open through his parentage and friends ; but gave himself up wholly
Lancaster's to the preaching of the word, and a conscientious practice of it,
Vol III o°f and was unblameable in his life and conversation ; none being
l^rmonl" ' morc, and few so, constant in preaching, praying, repeating ser-
mons, performing public, family, and private exercises, in the strict
observation of the duties of th^Lord's-day : nor did he at all abate, but
increased, in his zeal for glorifying God in this way, after he had a clearer
knowledge of Christ, and of the doctrines of grace ; working from better
principles, and with better views, willing to spend, and be spent, for the
service of the meanest of God's people ; being far from pride, vanity, and
self-conceitedness, and full of meekness, lowliness, and tender-heartedness ;
whereby it appeared, that the gospel of Christ had a very great influei^ce
upon his soul, and which engaged him to preach it freely without any
expectation of worldly advantage, and in a way which was sure to bring
upon him not the credit and esteem of men, but reproach and persecution,
his doctrine being falsely charged with Antinomianism : though the inno-
cency and harmlessness of his life, and his fervency in goodness, as Mr.
Lancaster observes, was a manifest practica. argument to confute the
slanders of Satan, against the most holy faith which he preached. Mr,
Hist, of the Neal says, that the Doctor in his younger days had been a favourer
wLut.""?. of Arminianism ; but, changing his opinion, he ran into the con-
28 trary extreme of Antinomianism. That he was inclined to Armi-
nianism, if not in it, and went on in the legal way of preaching for some
time, is certain ; which he relinquished upon a rich experience and clear
knowledge of the free grace of God in Christ ; but that he went into real
Antinomianism, must be denied ; his sermons upon " Free grace the teacher
of good Morks," and " The use of the law," with others, abundantly prove
the contrary. However, the above writer is pleased to give this character
of him, tliat " he ^^ as certainly a learned and religious person, modest and
humble in his behuviour, fervent and laborious in his ministerial work, and
exact in his morals.'^ Nor does he want the testimonies of men of tho
greatest figure, in learning and religion, to his character and usefulness ;
^jarncularly the famous Dr. Twisse, prolocutor to the assembly of di\1ne«.
OP TOBIAS CRISP, D.D. til
and whom some have called " Flos scholasticorum," thus, on occasion,
expressed himself concerning him ; that he " had read Dr. Crisp's ^,'i;^,*'"'^fl
sermons, and could give no reason why they M'ere opposed, but face t.
because so many were converted by his preaching, and (said he) sin, p 4.
so few by ours." That excellent Dutch professor of divinity, Kcornbeck,
calls him a learned divine, and says, " Pervolui ego tres volumi- sum. Cont-
num libellos Tobice Crispi, doct. thcologi, quorum titidum fecit, ^' ' '
Christ alone exalted ;" and observes, that he, with others of the same prin-
ciples, had no ill design, but that the glory of Christ might the more
appear, cast do%vn all the works, dispositions, and conditions of men, and
confidence in them, besides him. That truly good man Mr. Cole, the
author of a valuable treatise on Regeneration, declared, that if he had
but one hundred pounds in the world, and Dr. Crisp's book could not be
had without giving fifty pounds for it, he would give it, rather ^\- Samuel
than be without it ; saying, " I have found more satisfaction in it, ut supra,
than in all the books in the world, except the bible "
Wlien the Doctor enterea into the marriage-state is not certain ; verv
probably about the time, or before, he became Rector of Brinkworth, as
should seem by the \iumber of children he had, he dying in 1642. He mar-
ried Mary Wilso.^ laughter and heiress of Rowland Wilson of London,
merchant. She was sister to the famous Colonel Rowland Wilson, who was
So distinguished in the times of the civil wars; who, though he was heir to
£2000 per annum in land, and partner with his father in a large personal
estate employed in merchandize, yet, for the service of God, and the good
of his country, took upon him the command of a city-regiment ^eraoHa?»!
under the parliament. He was one of the trustees for the sale of *P '^ia ^*
deans' and chapters' lands, and muster-master-general of the forces 390—394,
of Warwick and Coventry; was appointed a commissioner of the 428.
high court of justice for the trial of the king, but refused to act ; was
member of parliament, and alderman and sheriff of the city of Loudon : the
accepting of which last ofiice was voted by the parliament, an acceptable
service to the common-wealth ; he was of the council of state for the year
1649, and died quickly after, being attended to his grave by the members ot
parliament and council of state, the lord-mayor and aldermen, divers citi
zens of London, and officers of the army, the city-regiment, of which he was
Colonel, and other companies of soldiers. He died before his father, who
gave the greatest part of his substance to the children of Dr. Tobias Crisp,
and his widow, who survived the Doctor 31 years, she dyina: the Mr. Crisp's
•^ pref.&c. ut
20th of September, 1673 ; by whom he had tliirteen children, two supra.
died before him, and he left eleven behind him ; their names were Rowland,
Ellis, Mary, Tobias, Samuel, Esther, Edward, Rowland, Nicholas, Eliza-
beth, Anne, Jane, John. His son Samuel, who was one of the governors
of Christ Church Hospital, London, published the last edition of his father's
works, with a preface to them, and wrote several things in defence of them ;
one called, " Christ made sin ;" another, " Christ alone exalted," in Dr.
Crisp's sermons ; a third, " Clirist exalted, and Dr. Crisp vindicated." He
was one of the first that joined in the communion of the churcli, at Clap-
b 2
rni MEMOIRS OF THE LIFE, ETC.
Mr. Grace's ham, Surrv, in the Nonconformists'' way, and ;ne survivor of
funeral ser- ^ ji jj
mon. p. 41. them all. He died June 20, 1703.
But to return to the Doctor ; upon the breaking out of the civil wars,
and to avoid the insolence of the cavalier soldiers, he left his rectory of
Brinkworth in Aug. 1642, and retired to London ; where, and about it, he
preached several of the sermons afterwards printed ; whereby his sentiments
about tne doctrines of grace were soon discovered, in which he was opposed
Athens p. ^^ *^^ city-divines ; and (to use Mr. Wood's words) Avas baited by
11- fifty-two opponents in a grand dispute concerning the freeness of
the grace of God, in Jesus Christ, to poor sinners ; by which encounter,
which was eagerly managed on his part, he contracted a disease that
brought him to his grave. He died of the small-pox, February 27, 1642,
being about forty-two years of age, and was buried in a vault, belonging
to his family, under part of the church of St. Mildred, in Bread-street,
London.
Lancaster's So, as (Mr. Lancaster says) after his natural strength was in-
lupra. sensibly spent, in the service of the Lord, by constant and
laborious preaching, praying, repeating, and studying, ofteu-times whole
nights, to the impairing and ruining of his health, it pleased the Lord to
call him, by his last visitation, unto his eternal rest ; wherein there appeared
such faith, such joy, such a quiet and appeased conscience, such triumph
over death and hell, as made the standers-by amazed ; and, a little before
nis death, he professed, before some present, the stedfastness of his faith, to
this effect, " that as he had lived in the free grace of God, through Clirist,
so he did, with confidence and great joy, even as much as his present con-
dition was capable of, resign his life and aoul into the hands of his most dear
Father."
TO THK
C H R 1 S r I A N R E A 1) E R.
To such 1 rcconinioiul a few lines ; and if thou art a Christiaa
uidcod, then Christ is all in all to thee. And though the jiino
streams of the light, life, and love of God, in Christ Jesus, be most
sweet to thee, as they come flowing fresh, as living honey from the
iioney-ccmb, the scriptures; yet I know the discussing divine truths,
by those that have had the richest experiences of them, will he
grateful to you, when you find, that as face answers face in a glass
BO these following discourses answer the heavenly sense and relish
you have had at any time of the love of Jesus in your soul.
I find myself somewhat concerned to say somewhat of this new
edition, and an addition of my father's sermons. As thus; I was
some months since surprised with a letter from Mr. Marshail, the
undertaker, to reprint all my father's sermons in one volume, he
desiring my subscription for a set of them. I wondered that siicli a
work should be set about by a mere stranger, after so many years,
(about forty-five), that they had filled many minds, some with
admiration, and some with contempt of the free grace of God
exemplified therein. But, joyful I was, that what had refreshed
many souls forty-five years ago, might, through the good hand of
God, be of great use in these days, seeing that the Lord Jesus is
liastcning to call all to a sad account, that stand out and reject his
tenders of salvation to all that will accept of him.
I considering that as the time when these sermons were preached
and first printed, 1642 and 1643, was as sad a time as this nation
knew for many years. When a violent storm of an outrageous civil
war did rage in the bowels of the kingdom. So that every day
peopli> looked to be slain by the merciless sword : which called for
consolatory discourses for the people of God. Which God eminently
assisted my father to preach, with great acceptance to thousands that
flocked to hear him from place to place, in this great city, twice
eveiy Lord's-day, and to his house, to the repetition of them at
night; until his abundant service therein cost him his life. lie being
snatched 9^"^v in the height of his glorifying the free grace of God
X TO THE CHRISTIAN RKADEIl-
io Christ, to be glorified by it in the midst of his days, at the age of
forty-two, on the 27th of February, 1G42. I say, as that was a time
that these discourses were of all times most necessary, death hanging
immediately over the heads of all: so now the inculcating this great
point, is of as much, if not more use ; when not only judgment upon
all unsound professors is hastening : but at this latter day of the
world, a new gospel, or a sort of Grotian Divinity, hath obtained
among the generality of professors, joining man's righteousness with
Christ's for salvation ; and saying plainly, our good works concur to
our justification, directly contrary to the apostle, " That by the works
of the law shall no man be justified." And I forbid any man to shew
me a good work that is not the work of the law. For if not from
God's law, he will say, who required it at your hand ? Which
considered, made me conclude, the republishing these discourses may
comfort and settle many souls. Whereupon I gladly accepted the
bookseller's motion to assist in reprinting them ; provided he would
add to them several other sermons that have not been yet printed,
which I would transcribe out of my father's own notes ■ which I
desired him to do on two aecounts. First, to set forth more of the
glorious free grace of God, in what is added. And, secondly, to
remove some reflections cast on my father's discourses ; as if his
advancing free grace, tended to suppress good works, which was far
from his, as it also is from every good Christian's thoughts. For who
but a devil, or his children will say, " Let us sin that grace may
abound," or because a good blessed prince hath, with the hazard of
his life, rescued us from slavery, therefore we will spit in his face.
Therefore to shew that my father was not of that spirit, I have
transcribed, from his notes, these following discourses, to be printed
with his other sermons, viz. An ample discourse, being the subject of
several sermons, preached at Brinkvvorth, (where his lot was cast)
on Titus ii. 1 1, I'i. shewing therein, " How grace in Christ to sinners
teachelh godliness, not licentiousness." Another on Gal. iii. 19, on
"The use of the law." A third is a funeral sermon of Mr. Brunsell, a
minister, on Gal.i. 8, " Though an angel preach any other doctrine, let
Vnn be accursed." A strange text for a funeral sermon ; but shews,
that Mr. Brunsell, giving my father that text, was of my father's
opinion. That " Christ alone is to be exalted," notwithstanding men's
carping at the doctrine of free grace. The last is the heads of a
preparatory sermon ; to the pcojde at Brinkworth, to a solemn fast,
July 8th, 1640, which is a subject so rarely treated on, or practised,
I concluded, that as it might convince any unprejudiced person of
my father's strictness to the height in holy performances, (yet not
making them the main grounds of his comfort) so it would be very
grateful to those in the ministry, who may meet with it, and to shew
TO THE CHRISTIAN READICR. Xl
how strictly those called puritans of old, (of whom my father was
accounted none of the least) exercised themselves in godliness.
Now that these are my father's own discourses I fully satisfy any
thus, that I know the hand-writing of these discourses is his own
hand-writing, (being in his own books, and being in the same hand
that all the former printed sermons of his are of, and agrees with all
the other writings I have of his) as much as I know any man's face I
have been long acquainted with. So that I do no more question
them to be my father's genuine offspring, than I do that once there
was a Queen Elizabeth in England.
And moreover, in transcribing them, most of the similies which
my father used came fresh to my mind ; they having made a deep
impression on my tender memory, when I heard them, being (hea
about seven years old; especially the preparation to a day of
humiliation. I do as well remember the solemnity thereof, forty-nine
years ago, as if it had been but last year. So that I can, and do
testify, that they were really (and are faithfully transcribed from)
his own notes. Now that they all may be as satisfactory to you in
perusing, as these last have, through God's goodness, been to me in
transcribing, is my hearty desire.
It doth not comport with common modesty, nor can it be expected,
I should put encomiums on these discourses, though much may be
said of multitudes that have owed, some their spiritual birth, othera
their soul refreshments to those sermons, under God. Neither can I
avouch so much skill in disputes, as to maintain a scholastic defence,
in opposition to the arguments, that some, more learned than evan-
gelical scholars, have or may raise against them, as de gustu non est
disputandiim : so neither of the soul's satisfaction in divine truths.
All must be left to the Author of all grace, to soften some, and harden
the obstinate, by those divine testimonies of this servant of the Lord
in the ministry. And many hundreds that have tasted that the Lord
is gracious, in solacing their souls with the things transmitted here to
the world, have been better satisfied in the truths of the gospel,
herein laid down, in a plain familiar style, than if they had been
averred by the most learned arguments of I'eason, from the princes of
the world, by human wisdom only.
I know these sermons have had hard censures put on them by
some persons of great learning ; I wish they had better learned
Christ, then they would not have quarrelled at the honour asciibed
to him by my father. If learning must take the upper hand of
divinity, then Antichristian, Socinian, Pelagian, Arminian doctrines
would have jostled out Christianity long since ; for who more
scholastically learned than Antichrist's Doctors, and yet who greater
dunces, like Nicoderaus, in Christ's school, where we are to account
XU TO THE CHRISTIAN READER.
all our own righteousness, much more our learning, dung, for tha
excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ. God will ever make it
good, that the poor of the world, for parts and self-excellency, are
chosen by him to be rich in faith; while the rich, with their gifts
and parts, are most of them sent empty away. For the wisdom of
this world is foolishness with God, and the natural man receiveth not
the things of the spirit of God, (be his parts never so great ;) neither
can he know them. A blind man may as well dispute the colours in
the rainbow, or the deaf man of sounds, as the graceless scholar of
the " wisdom of God in a mystery which none of the princes of this
world knew ; or of Christ in his members their hop« of glory." But
I have so much charity as to believe, that some that have aspersed
these sermons, are persons of real true piety, and eminently devout ;
to which it may be said, it is no wonder, when we find many devout
ones bandied against the apostle Paul, Acts xiii. 16. " And there
were many true disciples, believers in Christ, that had not so much
as heard whether there be a Holy Ghost:" Acts xix. 1, 2. But
blessed be God, though some sour spirits were busy, when these
sermons were first exhibited to the world ; God hath been graciously
pleased to send forth many sons of consolation since, of whose labours,
in the ministry, I liave been a happy partaker, and whereof T may
say, that of 5200 discourses I have by me, (besides many lost), taken
from the lips of several gospel preachers, such as famous Dr. Goodwin,
Dr. Owen, Dr. Wilkinson, Mr. Christopher Fowler, that great lover of
our Lord Jesus, and exalter of his righteousness alone in the matter
of justification, I can scarce reckon six of the 5200 that do oppose
the doctrines my father asserted.
I confess, I have two preached by an eminent person, that I must
animadvert upon, and thereby in some measure vindicate my father's
sermons; these two were preached at Pinner's Hall, the 27th of
January, 1073, and 11th of Aug. 1674. This great man treatiug of
saint's privileges brings in this for one, " that they have the assistance
of the spirit of God. But with this caution, a man's first believing is
by extrinsical arguments, not by the operation of the spirit, but his
after-believing is by the spirit." Now if he mean by his first
believing, only a general assent to the truth of the gospel, I know
none will quarrel at it, though it is a very unwary expression ;
but if,he mean saving faith comes without the spirit s operation,
I account it an horrid expression. In that of the Hth of Aug. he
saith, " Far be it from thinking Christ's righteousness is our formal
righteousness. And it is an error (saith he) to say Christ's
righteousness is so perfectly ours, as there is no need of any of our
righteousiiess, in order to our actual or final justification," [[which is
a strange expression for any that would not be reckoned to have the
TO THE CHRISTIAN READER.
number of the beast."] He proceeds concerning our rightcoiisucBS,
exalting it thus, and saith, " When it comes to the day of judgment, it
we are accused at the bar of God to be unbelievers, what will justify us?
Not Christ's righteousness ; (O horrid I) The question is (saith he)
If you have part in him, if you are penitent believers ; therefore your
own faith and repentance must bethematterof your justification against
this charge, Thou art an unbeliever, and impenitent. If the devil say
thou art an hypocrite, your sincerity is your justification against
that." [He proceeded and said,]] " Some tliink e have paid all
our debt by Jesus Christ, as our representative ; this is a mistake,
(saith he,) God seeing our persons and his two not the same."
[Though not one individual person, yet the scripture speaks nothing
more plain and home in its sense, tlian, " That Christ and a believer
are one, ' John xvii. yet he denies it.] Again he affirms, " That he
affirms that God reputes us to have fulfilled the law of works in
Christ, he maintains the covenant of works, which the scripture
denies, saying " By the works of the law shall no flesh be justified:"
Christ was justified by the law of works, for he fulfilled it perfectly;
but this justification of him, is not our justification." [Now, who is
the Antinomian ? Is not he that denies Christ to have fulfilled the
law for believers? and that saith we are not justified by the Lord
Christ's fulfilling the law.]] He proceeds, " We must have another
justification besides the justification of the person of our Lord Jesuh.
If you say, God in that sense imputes Christ's righteousness, as
supposing us actually perfect, because we fulfilled all in Christ, then
there is no room for the pardon of sin." [Here is sad shuffling to
balk Christ's righteousness made ours; sure he forgot that scripture,
*' beljig justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is
in Jesus."] He goes on and saith, " the new covenant requires our
eubordinate personal righteousness, and Christ gives pardon upon
this, in subordination to Christ's righteousness ;" [This is not
accounting all our righteousness loss and dung, to be found in Christ*8
righteousness.] [And now comes a squint-eyed maxim, directly
contrary to St. Paul's, " Not of works, lest man should boast :" and that
is this.] " Grace makes use of a conditional covenant in a sapiential
way." [O the sapientiality of man against that which the world
accounts the foolishness of God to save man, " Not by works of
righteousness which we have done, but by his grace he hath saved
us.] (Again thus,) " By our personal righteousness we are justified
from the charge of infidelity at the bar of Christ." [And could a
Franciscan Friar say more ?] Again, " If men think sincerity, faith,
repentance, have no hand in, or tendency to their right and title to
eternal life and justification, at the bar of God, they contradict the
scope of the scripture • [but not of that in Phil. iii. 9, " That I may
Xiv TO THE CHUISTIAN READEa
be found iu him, not Imving mine own righteousness.] C'jnccMning
chastisements, which God calls love-tokens, Heb. xii. he saith,
*' Where God speaks of chastisements, it is the curse of punishment:
(for) when God gave man a Saviour, he intended not to take off all
punishment," (Again) " It is a mistake in some to say, a believer
is past all danger, when once converted ; [though God say, Whom he
loves, he loves to the end."] And to say our union to Christ so makes
us flesh of his flesh, that we are the same person with Christ ; this is
so gross (saith he) that I will not bestow time to confute it :" [Nor
cannot, so long as that text is in our bibles, " We are members of
his body, of his flesh, and of his bones," Eph. v.] " We are his
members, but it is political members," said he. [But God saith,
" He that is joined to the Lord, is one spirit ;" which is more than a
political member, or a natural member either.] I shall not make
quotations upon what follows, but leave them to the ensuing learned
answers ; but he proceeded with these passages, " Another mistake is.
That every man shall be justified, that doth but believe he is justified.
I that have spent many years in hard study of words, do now confess,
that most of the doctrinal disputes iu Christendom, nay, with Papists,
lie in words ; and for saying so, I shall be censured." He that hath
but skill to unravel the words, may make them confess they mean
both the same thing. He that blasphemes God in words, may be a
good Christian in his heart ; his error may be more grammatical than
theological. [For a close take this,] " We mistake our propriety in
Christ, and his merits ; we have not that propriety in Christ that wo
have in our goods, or as I have in my beast, to dispose of him."
Thus the captain of those that oppose such doctrines, as are in
the following Sermons, leads many ; but sure it cannot but grieve all
that have any sense of the love of Christ, to die for us, and to see
how his righteousness is baffled, and, in a manner, discharged from
justifying a poor sinner. How should our zeal for Christ inflame us
to hear a Doctor in Israel say, that at the last day Christ's righteous-
ness doth not justify us ? But there is a righteousness of ours comes in,
in some sort, in order to our actual, or final justification. Now I
will intreat the reader to accept my pains in transcribing some
passages preached in answer to this sermon, and which vindicates
the doctrine of free grace, by the strenuous exalters of the Lord
Jesus Christ, and his righteousness made ours, Mr. Christopher
Fowler, deceased, and Mr. Thomas Cole, through God's rich mercy
yet living to defend the truth. I begin with Mr. Fowler's, preached
August 13, 1674, two days after he had heard and told me he was
sick of that sermon of August 11, from Cant. ii. 16, " My beloved is
mine, and I am his/' "Take ns the foxes," saith ver. 15. " These
are false teachers, they adulterated the doctrine of justification sa
TO THK CHIUSTIAN READER. XV
St. Paul's time, and so they contii)uc. (Aug. 1 J.) The devil knows,
taKo away the foundation, and the building falls ; but every common
man is not to be a soldier," (so said Aug. 11.) " But there was a
inoclamation in 88, that all from sixteen to sixty should be in arms;
nature will teach a man to leave the plough, and take arms to
defend his country: and love to Christ will make men contend for
the truth, when men are pulling up the foundations. I would fain
know what the truth means, if we arc patiently to let it go. St.
Jude bids us, " Contend for the faith once delivered to the saints,
many deceivers are come into the world." Suppose a man comes and
patcheth up the righteousness of man, with the righteousness of
Christ, for justification ; what shall we do then? The apostle saith,
" Bid him not God-speed." To withdraw from such is God's ordi-
jjance ; that they may be ashamed. It is a duty to abhor and hate
such doctrines. I do not say I hate their persons, I pray for them,
and that God would pluck up every plant that is not of our heavenly
Father's planting. O ! but is it not better for men to be quiet? (as
said Aug. 11.) What! must men poison the doctrine of Jesus
Christ, and ministers hold their tongues for fear of being counted
contentious ? Shall a man be called a bawler because he cries. Fire,
fire ? If the same opinions rise up as did of old, the same course
must be taken to cut them oiF. Men talk of being quiet, What !
Shall the master of the house lie and sleep, and let the thief alone
when he comes to rob ? My mastiff must have a muzzle put on him,
till all the poultry be stolen. A man must not cut down the thistles,
lest his neighbours count him troublesome. What makes men deny
the alone righteousness of Jesus Christ for justification? they never
received the truth in the love of it. "My beloved is mine :" there is
a righteousness without us. "I am his;" there is holiness within us.
Can you read this text, " Jesus is mine, and I am his," and not say.
We have no righteousness to stand before God in, but Christ's
imputed to us? What an idle conceit is that (of Aug. 11 ?) That
I and Christ are not the same individual persons ? Is not Christ's
righteousness completely mine, because I was not in his body per-
sonally when he died ? Did not Christ Jesus perform all righteous-
ness for his church ? When soul and body are united, Adam's sin ia
mine : so when I being touched with a sense of sin and hell, do
believe in Jesus Christ, and apply him to my soul, his righteousness
is mine, and lam personally justified. A virtual justification, is none,
(said Aug. II). What man living can say so ? If there were no
virtual justification, (when Christ satisfied, which was denied Au£;.
11,) there would be no actual. For my part, I think people do not
unilerstand, and they swallow any thing. If a man say, that rirtuAl
justification is no justification, they let it go down: I will make it
Xyi TO THE CHRISTIAN READER
plain by a similar instance; My father it may be boirows UiJiXiOH.
before I am born, and binds liimself and children that he shall have,
and becomes not able to pay a groat, nor any of his children : theic
comes a friend and lays down the whole sum, for the redemption of
him, and his, from misery. This is not told ine till I am of age,
then I plead this payment, or I must lie in gaol. So Christ made
the payment of the debt I ran into in Adam, long before I was born.
Now I am virtually justified ; and when I come to own and plead
this, I am actually justified. But people fight against this imputed
righteousness, while the scripture is plain for it. When St. Paul
saith, " God imputes righteousness," he moans the thing, not the
virtue." What nonsense is it for men to talk of virtual justification,
no justification. " The thing, Christ's righteousness, is imputed to
me, and for the virtue of it, that in time is effected in me, there the
sense of being justified by Christ's righteousness imputed, is, that
Christ is the meritorious cause that we, doing so and so, shall be
justified. If that be all, it is false; for Christ's righteousness is the
material cause of our justification also. 1 explain it thus: Suppose
I am arrested, and brought before my Lord Mayor, at Guildhall, for
a debt of 1000^. and I must rot in gaol if I do not pay every farthing j
there comes a friend and deposited all this money for me ; but go,
that if I will be discharged, I must accept of this payment, and
plead it at the bar. And when I plead it the judge acquits me, and
saith. Sir, the court discharges you. Now what is the matter or
thing that discharges me? It is the payment of the-surety which
satisfies the law. But what is the formal discharge ? How comes
the judge actually to discharge me ? It is by imputing and reckoning
this payment of my friend to me. The council saith. On what
ground do you discharge this great debtor ? Why, saith he, his
surety paid it for him ; and I reckon what he did to the account of
the debtor, and so discharge him. This is imputation. The money
deposited by my surety, is the matter. The imputing this to me, is
my formal discharge in the court. A material discharge this was
before I plead it ; the payment of the money was worthy that I
should be discharged, and it is the matter also of my dischaege :
but till I plead this, and say. My Lord, I confess the debt, but my
friend paid it for me ; pray discharge me. Till then I am not
formally discharged. My Lord saith, I reckon his payment to yoa,
md the court discharges you : this is common among men. This
debt is a debt of punishment, to be inflicted by God, a righteous
iudge, for sin ; the bar is the law ; what is my answer at this bar ?
Guilty, guilty, my Lord. What is my plea, why I should not go to
hell ? I plead Jesus, what he hath done and suft'ered for mo ; I
plead his righteousness, believing in him. Now God imputes this,
TO THE CHRISTIAN READER. SVIl
Rnd I am justified. This is the meaning of justification according to
all our reformed divines ; why should people name one or two
otherwise minded, that afterwards Sociiiianized, and turned towards
Popery, the main thing still all along hath been to prove against the
Papists, Socinians, and Arminians, that Christ's righteousness is the
material cause of our justification. Bishop Davcnant saith, "^ Christ's
righteousness is the material cause of our justification, and the
meritorious too." So saith Chamier ; so say all our learned divines
at home and abroad. God will not justify a man without a righteous-
ness. Now the great question is. What is that righteousness that is
the matter of my justification ? To this the Arminian saith, God
imputes faith the to credere, the act of faith ; God sees me believe,
and God imputes that act of mine for my justification. John Good-
win saith plainly, " God accepts this act of faith for as much as a
man's performing the whole law." The Papists say, " The matter, or
material cause of justification, or that for which God accounts a man
righteous, it is our good works joined with Christ's righteousness.
God imputes my alms, ray prayer, and the like, for my righteous-
ness." Ask the Socinian what is the material cause of justification ?
He will tell you. It is my faith joined with a good life. So they all
three jostle out Christ's righteousness. They will not submit to the
righteousness of God, but go about to establish their own righteous-
ness, Rom. X. But come now to a true Protestant ; and what doth
he say ? What is his righteousness before God ? Or, what is the
material cause of his justification ? He cries out, " None but Christ,
none but the righteousness of Christ ; that I may be found in hira,
not having mine own righteousness, but the righteousness which is of
God by faith." He trusts only in Jehovah his righteousness. He
cries out, with the spouse in the text, " My beloved is mine; he
himself, his person, his righteousness is mine." (But the llth of
Aug. said, " Christ's doing all for us, would be a justification, by
the covenant of works.) Mr. Fowler saith, " Nothing can stand in
the court of heaven to justify me, but what is adequate to the law
of God. " Do this, and live," is alive ; either I must do the will of
God, or somebody for me ; if not, the law will curse me to hell ;
for, " Heaven and earth must pass away, but not one jot or tittle of
the law, till all be fulfilled" by me, or my surety for me, else I shall
never go to heaven. Sincere obedience will not do in point of
justification, it is accepted of God in Christ, as the fruit of justifying
faith ; it is the honor of a Christian, and where it is right, it is
worth ten thousand worlds ; but, by your leave, it is not Jesus
Christ, it is not our righteousness to stand before God in, at his
tribunal bar. I admire we must take such pains to prove the sun
shines, to prove that Christ's righteousness is our justification : and
XViii TO THE CHRISTIAN READER.
yet we arc forced to it : niethinks that text, Col. i. 22, should stop
every mouth, " You hath he reconciled in the hody of his flesh
through death." What is the fruit? " To present you in his sight
holy." How far ? Tt may he to he sincere. Is not that enough ?
No : it is " holy and unreproveahle in his sight ;" not in man's
sight, hut in God's sight. How? By my sincerity ? No, hut hy
" the hody of his flesh through death." Compare this with that of
David, "Enter not into judgment with thy servant; for in thy
sight shall no flesh living be justified ;" that is, no servant living, no
Abraham, no David, no Paul, no Virgin Mary, shall stand justified in
his or her sincere obedience in God's sight. Savanarola, a Popish
monk, afterwards a martyr, 1498, professed, " That the gospel of
Christ was puddled by the schoolmen, mingling Aristotle and Plato
with Christ and Paul ; they tell us of works before grace, and after
grace, of a first and second justification." Away with this nonsense,
the text is plain, " no servant is justified in God's sight:" a man i;
not a servant (hut the enemy) till in a justified state by faith ; and
yet then this servant cannot stand in God's sight, with any thing of
his own, or anything received, but only in the righteousness of Jesus
Christ, yet we stand unblameahle in God's sight. How ? Tt is by
" the body of his flesh through death" he presents us so ; but if wo
are secure by faith in Jesus Christ, then, Paul, you destroy all
duties, men may live as they list. No, no ; I beseech you therefore
by the mercies of God "to present your bodies holy," &c. This is
Paul's logic from an argument of mercy in Jesus Christ, to persuade
them to holiness ; and I like his logic before all the distinctions of
the schoolmen. As for imputation of Christ's righteousness to his
seed, it is as the imputation of Adam's sin to his seed, Rom. v.
* Through the offence of one, judgment came upon all to con-
demnation."
" The Arminian will say, God imputes the act of our faith foro ur
righteousness. The Papists are for God's imputing alms, prayers, &c.
for our righteousness. The Arminian will tell you. Faith is Causa
sine qua non, a juggle: no imputation is good. But when Protest-
ants, and true believers say they trust only in Christ's righteousness
imputed to them for justification, this must be called a new fangled
doctrine."
Thus Mr. Fowler bears witness against our righteousness having
an order in our justification : but farther to refute it, I shall give in
a second evidence, that by the mouth of two witnesses the truth of
Christ alone our righteousness may be established ; and that is some
passages out of Mr. Cole's sermon, preached in Dr. Owen's turn at
Pinner's Hall, August 8th, 1676, from Matthew vii. 24 to 27, about
the sound foundation : " They say (said Mr. Cole) that to complete
TO THE CHRISTIAjy READER. T*c
onr justification, Christ hath purchased for us strength and ability to
perform the condition of the new covenant, the performance of which
IS to he taken in as part of our justification. We say, faith and
obedience once proved to be true and genuine, are good evidences of
our interest in Christ, whose imputed righteousness is the sole and
only righteousness by which we are justified from all charge and
blame whatever, in the sight of God ; and to say otherwise is in
effect to say, that Christ died to justify us, that we might be justified
without him ; our inherent righteousness can have no part in our jus
tification, because there must be a change of our state by justifica-
tion, before we can derive any saving grace from Christ, to enable us
to do the least good work. Now our inherent righteousness not being
able to justify itself, because of its imperfection, much less can it
justify our persons ; I shall shew, that the work of faith, as done by
us, is no part of our righteousness. It is true, the scripture saith,
** Faith is imputed for righteousness, and that we are justified by
faith:" now in what sense is this to be understood? Are we to take
up our standing, partly in the act of faith, and partly in the object of
faith ; making up a righteousness, partly from ourselves, and partly
from Christ ? Or, are we by faith to go out of ourselves to Christ,
for our whole sole justifying righteousness ? This I affirm, and shall
shew, that those scriptures, of being justified by faith, do relate to
the object of faith, to Christ believed on ; faith is a relative, it is
T^TiKEiv «s i* cirt ; to believe in, into, upon Jesus Christ. It must be
faith in Christ, or in nothing; believing is our leaning on Christ.
We ai-e not united to faith, but by faith to Christ ; we do not trust
•n faith, but by faith in Christ: when we are said to be justified by
faith on Christ, Gal. ii. 16, can the meaning be, that we are justified
by faith and Christ, 'as some would have it ? Were men more willing
to exalt Christ, and debase themselves, faith in Christ would be but
one righteousness, and would not be faith and Christ.
" Hath God said, " Christ is our righteousness," without any re-
striction, and shall man say. Aye, but not all our righteousness ? I
say, it is a bold word, whatever remote inference they may gather
from the scripture, to justify their meaning: and since God hath not
thought fit to drop any such diminutive expression of Christ in scrip-
ture, I say, it is a bold word of men to speak so ; we may safely deny
anything of God which tends to weakness, but to deny that of Christ
which tends to the exaltation of his name, and the riches of his grace,
let men distinguish how they will, it is dangerous meddling here, this
is a tender point. To make the act of faith to justify us, and not
Christ the object of faith, makes faith contradict itself, as thus :
Prav what is the sense of a believing soul, under his present act of
laitli in Jesus Christ ? I appeal to you all, who have been scrious/y
TO THE CHRISTJ.SkN HEADER.
dealing with God by an act of faitli for salvation : you beliovn in
Christ ; what is the English of that ? Is not this the sense ? Yoii
desire to cast yourself wholly on Christ, to be found in Christ, not
having on your own righteousness, to lay hold of eternal life in Christ,
to go out of yourselves to Christ, for righteousness and life, to count
all loss and dung, that you may win Christ. If you mean this, what
an absurdity is it to say, I am justified by somewhat in myself, by
virtue of that act of faith, by which I go out of myself to Christ for
all ; if this is reason and sense, I have quite lost the use of both.
But how do some men (as Aug. 11,) fight with their own shadows,
lose themselves . in their own ex{uessions ; they cannot speak of
Christ, and of the way, and manner of applying Christ, but presently
they must be co-workers with Christ in their justification. Brethren,
we must not be persuaded out of our own Christian names, nay, out
of Christianity itself, by those who would impose their own notions on
us, and indeed preach another gospel. If Paul were alone, and
should hear any man on earth, or angel in heaven, compound faith
and works, works and Christ in the matter of justification, I doubt
not but he would curse them in the name of the Lord. Certainly we
are not to be mealy-mouthed, and silently to suff'er the grand prin-
c>r!es of the gospel to be denied; these be the pillars of the house,
all falls if these be taken away
"I shall shew the reasons they go on, who diflfer from us. They
speak much of a charge of infidelity, and impenitency, to be drawn
up against us at the last day, therefore it concerns us to muster uj)
all our good works, to answer the charge. A specious argunicnt to
amuse the world, and to fright men to the P o\As\i jastification by
works, to talk of a charge of indictment against a believer at the last
day, is a groundless and unscriptural notion." ' (So Aug. II,) "I
conceive the last judgment is not to prove who is, and who is not in
a state of grace ; but rather to pronounce the state that every one
shall appear in at the resurrection : there will be no doubting of any
man's state then, the method of the resurrection will decide tliat
Christ will separate the sheep from, the goats. And he will dc
this before the judgment, att.xxv. You shall know a believer then
by his station on the right haid of Christ ; and, must they then com
under a charge of infidelity ? Who must draw up this charge^ eithcf
God, good angels, conscience, or the devil ? God hath justified thei»
here, and sealed them by his spirit of adoption, to the day of redempr
tion, and he will not reverse his judgment. Good angels they g^
thered up the elect, and they know who they are ; conscience is
sprinkled with the blood of Christ, and the devil hath somewhat else
to do at that day, the time of his torment being come. Fear him
not; for the apostle saith, " The last enemy is death,' and must we
TO THE CHRISTIAN READER, j.Xi
bavft an after rencounter with the devil ? He draw uj) a chavpe
against you ? You shall accuse, judge, and condemn him, 1 Cor. vi. S.
Must poor Christians, that have lived under Satan's buffctincs, be
raised so? Is this to be raised in power? or, was Paul out in his
triumphs ? Rom. viii. 33. " Who shall lay anything to the charge
of God's elect ?" Make good your title to Christ now, and never
fear any charge at that day. John v. 24, " They shall not enter
into judgment." Aye, but if this feigned process be not observed,
some men's notions will fall to the ground. Aye, and let them fall,
it is no matter how soon, for they are not grounded upon the word of
God. We must not draw sham models from our own brains, and
then impose them on God.
^' The second ground they go on is this, that righteousness is a
conditional service, imposed by God in the new covenant, and there-
fore, the performance of it must be part of our justification, which
is specious and suitable to human reason ; as most things are that
contradict the mystery of the gospel. But alas ! at how little a
hole will self creep in, to have somewhat to glory in; I grant to
believe in Christ is a great act of divine worship, the greatest we can
perform to God on this side heaven ; but I deny that faith procures
toe benefits from Christ, but faith receives what Christ hath already
procured • faith docs not desire Christ to die for us, but faith comes
for the fruit of his death, hut has no casuality, or efiiciency. If
coming to Christ for what he hath done for us be a service, it is a
service done to a man's self, and can never be urged as a service done
to God. The meaning of an act of faith is to renounce our own
righteousness, to come in our nakedness and poverty to Christ, without
money, or money's worth; this is the old, honest, plain, downright
notion of believing. And is this the conditional service required ?
Why do not yos do it then, and lie low before God, and be vile in
your own eyes, and cast yourself on Christ for all ? Is this to perform
the condition of believing, to tell the world, that Christ is not our
only justifying righteousness? that we must seek for somewhat in
ourselves to join with him. Sirs, let us not read the Bible backwards,
wresting scriptures to our own destruction. It is strange to me, that
faith, which is all along in scripture opposed to works in justification,
and is appointed of God, to shut all good works out of justification,
should be thus made an inlet to bring all good works into justification.
They urge Matt. xii. 37, " By thy words thou shalt be justified.'
But Maldonate, the Jesuit, owns, this text is only of a justification,'
which declares us righteous.
" After all disputes, I say to you brethren, what St, Paul said to
the gaoler. Acts xvi. 31, that I say to you all, " Believe in the Lord
Jesus, and thou and thine house shall be saved ;" and do not you
VOL. 1. C
Xxii TO THE CHRISTIAN READER.
go home and tell your families now, that they must not understand
this text so, as to look upon Christ as their only justifying righteous
ness, but they must look for somewhat in themselves, if ever thoj
would be saved. (As said Aug. 11.) No, pray speak scripture lan-
guage, expound scripture by scripture, and tell them, that Christ is
all in all; tell them plainly, "They must not be found in their own
righteousness; they must be found in Christ, not having on their own
righteousness," tell them, there is no other " name under heaven by
which they can be saved, but by the name of Christ ;" tell them, " they
must not come for justification and life in the name of their good
works, or of anything that belongs to themselves." Promote this
doctrine in your families, this is the way to save you, and your house-
hold ; this is good wholesome household divinity, and suited to the
ordinary capacity of all serious professors ; we must not send our
hearers to intricate distinctions for the meaning of justification, the
sense of the gospel is plain in this thing. Come, come, you shall never
be charged at the last day, for giving too much to Christ in the
matter of justification ; you are to ascribe all to him, and if it were
possible to err on that hand, I had rather err in giving too much than
too little to Christ. For use to those that ground their justification
on the sandy fonridation of their own inherent righteousness, 1 would
exhort them to pull down the house presently, before it falls on their
heads, and lay a better foundation ; and then I would press them to
study other arguments, as there are very many to promote good
works, and practical holiness, and not jostle out Christ, to make
room for self-righteousness in the matter of justification. To those
that are built on the right foundation, and have, cast themselves on
Christ's righteousness f»r justification to life, let such be careful to
maintain good works, ai I bring forth fruit meet for the kingdom of
God."
Thus this servant of t\ « Lord hath taken excellent pains, to unde-
ceive people from what wss imposed on them, Aug. 1 1, 74, and so far
justifies my father's SeriAons, in that point of free justification by
Christ only. And because so great a man made that sermon, the 11th
of Aug., I have collected the testimony of many eminent divines.
Vim virepellere,aW contending against the mixture of our righteous-
ness with Christ's in the matter of justification, but intend here to
give the reader only two or three of tliem.
From the doctrine of the Church of England contained in the
Homilies, and out of the famous Dr. Reynolds's Excellency of Christ.
In folio 17, of the Homilies, it runs thus, " I say jiistificat'on \r-
the office of God ; man cannot make himself righteous in part or in
whole, by his own works ; that were the greatest arrogancy that man
can set up against God." [Lo here the good old doc^rmc of Pro-
TO THE CHRISTIAN READER. XXHl
teatants; but he goes on yet more bravely, against the jumbling of
rcan-'s righteousness with Christ ; against man's having some order ia
the justification of a sinner.] " So that to be justified by faith onhj,
{mark that only'] is not that this our act of faith, in Christ, dotli
justify us, and deserve our justification, for that were to acconnt our-
selves justified by some act, or virtue that is within us; bxit the
meaning is, that although we hear God's word, and believe it ; though
we have faith, hope, charity, and repentance, the dread and fear of
God within us, and do never so many works thereupon ; yet we must
renounce the merits of all our said virtues of faith, hope, and charity,
and trust only in God's mercy, and in that sacrifice which our High
Priest once ofifered upon the cross." And in folio 18, thus, "As
great and as godly a virtue as lively faith is, yet it putteth us from
itself, and rcmitteth us unto Christ to have only [only, only,] from
him, remission of our sins, or justification." [Lo here no mingling
sanctificadon with justification.] But Dr. Reynolds goes farther -,
and by some semi-Arminians would be accounted an Antinoraian ;
though they are the greatest Antinomians that deny, " The moral law
to be fulfilled in every tittle, by Christ, for believers." The Doctor
saith in folio 336, " In one place God commands, Make you a new
heart i in another he saith, a new heart vnll T give you. How can
these things consist together : he commands us to do what he pro-
miseth to do himself; but only to shew, God gives what he requires?'
pHut this was greatly laboured against Aug. 11.] In folio 352,
« We must live by faith, not by reason." And folio 368, " The
doctrine of justification by faith in Christ, was opposed by the Jews,
which kept them from Christianity. They would mingle the law
with justification, as the Papists do on other reasons." [And much
like it Aug. 11, but he goes on and absolutely confirms, our very sins
being laid on Christ; much struck at Aug. 11.] Folio 529, " The
apostle saith, that he was made sin for us ; to note, that not only our
persons were, in God's account, crucified with him to justification ;
but that sin itself did hang on his cross to mortification." [Nay he
asserts an incorporation into Christ's body : whereas Aug. 1 1 , denied
" Christ's righteousness to be so much a believer's as his beast is."]
And saith, folio 442, " When once we are incorporated into Christ's
body, though we are still under the law's conduct, in regard of its
obedience, which is made sweet and easy by grace ; yet not under
the law's malediction." [So that he makes union to Christ, more
than to the church, as some will have it. And saith farther,] folio
443, " The faith of the patriarchs is express by embracing ; they
did not only clasp Christ, but he them again. So that the strengtli
of faith, takes in the strength of Christ, being it puts Christ into
man." [Nay he ventures to be called an Antinomiau, but it is'onlj
c 2
fXir TO THE CHRISTIAN READER.
one of St. Paul's order ; and saith concerning our sins not being able
lo reverse God's mercy, as follows ;] folio 448, " The sins of men can
no more utterly cancel, or reverse God's covenant of mercy, than
bring back the flood. God makes us do the thing he requires ; as
,^ugustin, Deusfacit, ut nos faciamus qucB prcecipit. [[And whereas
Aug. 11, denied believers to be so one with Christ, as to suffer with
liira ; he saith,] folio 451, " Whatever he really in his human nature
suffered for sin, we are in moderated justice reputed to have suffered
with him, " as truly as the hand that steals is punished when the
back is beaten," Rom. vi. 6 ; Gal. vi. 14, And surely if a man
was crucified with Christ, he was crucified as Christ, for all sin,
which should otherwise have lain on him." [He most sweetly dispels
many of those clouds, which the llth of Aug. raised in the city, and
the puddle of the Arminianish brains, by which they do darken the
world. This long paragraph, which, for the comfort of the Christian
Reader, and for establishing the doctrine of free grace, I quote at
length from folio 453 and 454.]] " The snm of all (saith he) is this,
we stand not like Adam, upon our own bottom, but are branches of
such a vine as never withers, members of such a head as never dies,
sharers in such a spirit as cleanseth health, and purifies the heart,
partakers of such promises as are sealed by the oath of God, since we
live not by our own life, but by the life of Christ ; are not led or
sealed by our own spirit, but by the spirit of Christ ; stand not recon-
ciled to God by our own ejdeavours, but by the propitiation wrought
by Christ, who loved us when enemies, and in our blood ; who is
both willing and able to save us to the uttermost, and preserve his
own mercies in us ; to whose oflSce it belongs to take order, that
none that are given him be lost. Undoubtedly that life of Christ in
us, which is thus underpropped, though it be not privileged from
temptation, no, nor from backsliding, yet it is an abiding life," (not-
withstanding its being questioned, Aug. 11.) Folio 468, *' His
merits are as fully imputed to us for justification, as if his sufferings had
been by us endured, or the debt by us satisfied ; he alone, without
any demerit of his, suffered our (our, our) punishment. Solus pro
nobis suscepit penam Aug. Ilia in corpora Christi vulnera, non
erant Christi vulnera, sed latronis: The wounds in the body of
Christ, were not Christ's wounds, but the thief s." [This is driving
the nail through the temples of Sisera, the captain of the enemy's
host. Let us keep on this rock, and we shall not be shaken with
Popish blasts.] Folio 479, he puts a question, *' How do we live by
faith, Heb. x. and by Christ ? John xiv. Bv Christ, as the fountain ;
bv faith, as the pipe." And folio 480, " If Christ stand unblame-
able before God's justice, we shall in him (mark this in him) appear
so to faith, as a work of the heart, to credere doth not justify, but
TO THE CHRISTIAN READER. XXV
as it is a taking hold of Christ, not by working, but by bare receiving."
Folio 483, " If the Lord propose righteousness, or salvation, to a
man, on condition of his moral obedience, man's corruptions are so
many, that the promises cannot be sure to him on the concurrence of
his own works ; but when there is nothing required of a man, but to
cleave to Christ, this must needs make our righteousness, and salva-
tion, as certain as is the value of the merits on which you rely." [If
this be not sound evangelical doctrine, then I have heard the most
eminent ministers of the gospel to little purpose, these fifty years.]
He goes on richly, folio 489, " Faith re-invests a man with the crea-
tures. All are yours. Faith gives us all things, by entitling to the
promises." Folio 495, " Christ is himself the righteousness of those
that believe." Folio 510, " If the first love of God to man was not
procured by Christ, as mediator, but was altogether absolute, much
less doth the love of God ground itself on anything in us. The whole
series of our salvation is made up without respect to any (any, any)
thing of ours, or from us. [What not any thing ? What will become
of all self-righteousness then ? Why it must go to the apostle Paul's
dunghill, Phil, iii, 8. If it would have to do in justification. If this
do not vindicate Dr. Crisp's Sermons, I know not what can.] He
proceeds in folio 512, and 513, " In the new covenant God works
first, and then he bids us come to him, he doth likewise draw us to
him ; our faith is the operation of God, that which he requires of us,
he bestows on us. The first work of God is spiritual teaching ; we
come to Christ as the child to the mother, who draws him nearer and
nearer as she calls him ; the Spirit first opens the eye, and then the
word."
Thus this eminent Dr. Reynolds, who confirms the tenor of my
father's discourses, " That the sins of the elect do not hinder the
operation of God's grace." Insomuch, that if a sinner be wrought
on by God, in the midst of his sins, he lays hold on Christ for
righteousness and life, by faith in him. This is Christ's first drawing,
and the soul may freely adventure all the treasure of his salvation
in this vessel, without any scruple ; not that this doth open any
gap to licentiousness more than casting a rope to a drowning man
to catch hold on, encourages him to fly in the face of him that cast
it out.
What shall I more say ? The time would fail me to tell you of
Gideon, Barak, Sampson, of Cole, 1633, of Pemble, .^627, of Wilson,
1614, of Gouge, 1616, of Powel, 1606, of Sutton, 1632, of Bishop
Cooper, 1629, of Armagh, 1658, and famous Perkins, of whom I
must say one word, he being so nci vous ; who treating of the errors
of the Papists, saith quite contrary to what was taught the 11th of
Aug., viz. folio 32, "The foini of jastitication is as it were a kind
mXVr TO THK CHRISTIAN READER.
of translation of the believer's sins upon Christ. And, again,
" Christ's righteousness to the believer by a reciprocal or mutual
imputation."
■ In folio 101, he quotes the Papist's error in these words : " infused
er inherent justice is the formal cause of justification, whereby men
are justified in the sight of God formally." ^The confutation ; we
do contrarily bold (saith Perkins) " that the material cause of man's
justification, is the obedience of Christ, in suffering, and fulfilling the
Jaw for us ; but as for the formal cause, that must needs be imputation,
the which is an action of God the Father accepting the obedience of
Christ for us, as if it were our own."
Objection, " If justification be by imputation, he may be just before
God, who indeed is a wicked man."
Answer, " Not so : for he that is once by imputation justified, is also
at the. same instant sanctified. The Popish device of a second justifica-
tion is a satanical delusion."
[But the 11th of Aug. said, " There remains punishments on believers-
in afflictions," &c. but Mr. Perkins clean contrary,] foUo 368, " The^
benefit of justification is, that he is perfectly reconciled to God, because
his sin is done away, and he is arrayed with the perfect righteousness-
of Christ ; and afflictions to the faithful are no punishments for sin ;
for the guilt and punishment of sin was borne by Christ. And if a
Christian be afflicted, it is no punishment ; for then God should punish
one fault twice, once in Christ, and the second time in the Christian ;
which thing doth not agree with his justice." In folio 567, "Justifica-
tion stands in two things, remission of sins by the merit of Christ, and
the imputation of Christ's righteousness, whereby God accounts that
righteousness which is in Christ, as the righteousness of that sinner
which believes in hiip." [And against the concurrence of our sanctifi-
cation he saith,] folio 572, " The meaning is, that nothing that man
ean do, either by nature or by grace, concurreth to the act of justifica-
tion before God, as any cause thereof, neither efficient, material,
formal, or final, but faith alone. And folio 650, " Faith is no prin-
cipal cause, but only an instrument. Faith is no instrument to pro-
cure, or work out our justification and salvation, but an instrument to
receive our justification, given by the Father, procured by the Son,
applied by the Holy Ghost." (In Mr. Perkins's second part he mauls
the Popish justification, and cramps the 1 1th of Aug. saying, in folio
205,) • " It may be diemanded, what is that thijig in Christ, by, and
for which we are justified .'' I answer, the obedience of Christ, Rom.
V. 19. (folio 229,) Imputed to us of God, and apprehended by faith.
(And folio 276,) The Papist erreth, which teacheth justification^
partly by remission of sins, and partly by that which we call inward
TO THE CHRISTIAN READER. XXVU
sanctification. (And folio 165.) Here it must he observed, that
they which make an union of grace and works in the cause of justifi-
cation, are separated from the grace of God." [[This dreadful thun-
derbolt, formed out of Gal. v. 4, will make sad work. It lights on
the conscience of some Grotian divines.] [But Mr. Perkins, to make
sure work against the Papists, shoots them with an arrow out of their
own bow, and with it hits others that would pass for good Protest-
ants, and quotes a rank Papist, Albertus Pighius, in these words,] " If
we (saith Pighius) speak properly and formally, we are not justified
by our own faith, nor charity, but by the only justice of God in
Christ. That only justice of God in Christ communicated to us."
Here we may see how God sometimes extorts great things out of
the mouth of an enemy, as out of Balaam's ; so " Bellarmine's Tutis-
simus. The safest way is to rely on Christ alone:" so burning Win-
chester in Queen Mary's days, when dying, and exhorted to fly to
Christ alone for salvation, agreed to it; but said, " This door must
not be opened too freely ; it would make the people leave them:" or
to that purpose. I must now confess I have somewhat transgressed
the bounds of a preface, and should think it needed an apology, but
that it is chiefly enlarged with sound quotations, which cannot but be
an excellent entertainment to the judicious Christian, and a good help
through grace, to make others judicious. I should have dismissed
the reader here with a brief conclusion, but that in perusing some
notes, I met with a very evangelic discourse of that worthy servant of
the Lord, now with God, Dr. Jaconib, preached at Pinner's-Hall, the
8th of March, 1680-1, sweetly according with my father's publishing
God's offers of grace to the worst of sinnere when they are in the
height of their sins. This gentleman being so eminent in the city for
a solid, sound, teacher, his fi'ee expressions of the grace of God will
reconcile many of that persuasion that he was of, to the like freedom*
in my father's discourses-* and therefore I shall be the more free in
giving the reader the larger parcel thereof. As follows :
Dr. Jacomb, March 8,1680, on Hosea ii. 14, " Therefore I will
allure her." — This therefore must have a wherefore, " She went after
her lovers ; therefore I will allure her," The good and gracious God,
doth sometimes make use of sin itself, to cause grace to shine out
more conspicuously. Thou hast done so and so, " and I will magnify
my mercy to thee ;" to see if this will break thy heart : as the best
things, Christ and the gospel, by accident, have evil efi'ects on evil
hearts; so the worst of things, sin, by accident, sometimes produceth
good. It is the usual way of God to the greatest sinners, be their
sms never so many and great, Ezek. xvi. " Thou hast despised the
covenant -,"' yet after all this, ver. 60, God saith, " I will remember
my covenant with thee." So in Psal. cvi " Our fathers did wickedly.
XXVm TO THE CHRISTIAN READER.
notvyithstanding he saved them for his name's sake." The apostle
saith, " 1 was a blasphemer, a persecutor, but I obtained mercy.'*
1 Tim. i. 23, though I did it shutting mine eyes against the light;
there never was a person brought unto God, but God passed by a
thousand of buts. The observation. The gracious God sometimes
doth take occasion, from the sins of a people, to shew his grace •
" She went after her lovers ;" she forgot me. Well but, saith God, I
will take my rise for mercy from hence ; " Therefore I will allure her."
What a great sin was that of Adam ! yet God took his rise from that,
to act the highest grace that ever was acted in the Avorld ; he entered
into a new covenant with man, to send Christ into the world ; " that
where sin abounds, grace might much more abound ;" to illustrate and
magnify his mercy, and goodness. It is strange to consider, that,
fi-om which one would think God would infer nothing but judgment,
lie infers nothing but mercy ; as in the text, and Gen. viii. 24. God
said, " I will not again curse the ground ; for the imagination of
man's heart is evil." What a strange /or is this ? One would think it
to be, I will curse the ground, /or the imagination of man's heart is
evil. So in Esa. Iv. 17, " For the iniquity of his covetousness I
was wroth, and he went on frowardly." What dreadful words
follow f None, but quite otherwise ; " I have seen his ways, and wiH
heal him." Esa. xtii. 24, " Thou hast brought me no sweet cane;
hut hast made me to serve with thy sins:" will not God be angry now^?
No; the next words are, " I am he that blot out thy transgressions,
for my own name sake." It is a strange argument, that of David,
Psalm XXV. 1 1. " Pardon my sin, for it is great." Holy David knew,
that God sometimes takes occasion from the greatness of our sins to
pardon them ; to illustrate the greatness of his mercy. God designs
in all things, the advancing of all his attributes; they being all
equally dear to him: but if there be a difference, God especially aims
at glorifying his mercy. When he would give Moses a sight of his
glory, he gives him a sight of his goodness, " the Lord gracious and
merciful," Exod. xxxiv. 6, 7- His grace is prerogative grace; he
hath mercy on whom he will : and sometimes he is pleased to pitch
on the most unlikely persons, the worst of sinners; there is a height
and depth in his grace; and there is a freeness in it. When sinners
deserve the least, and look for the least, [This is just my father's
sense.]] " God is pleased to give out the most grace to such as look for
least." The greater the sin, the more conspicuous is the freeness of
the grace of God. Sinners are not first with God; but God is first
with them in his grace : he first loves us, and then we love him. God
will have his preventing grace known, and therefore sometimes takes
the sinner when he is at the worst." [To this may some Semi-Armi-
mnn s.ny, that Dr. Jacomb is as much tni Aiitinomian, as Dr. C — »
To THE CHHXSTIAN READER. XXIX
though, in truth, he is only one of the apostle Paul's Antinomians-
who saitli, " Where sin abounds, grace doth siiperabound, much
more abound;" and Ihe righteousness of God without the law was
manifest. But the Doctor proceeds,] " O, saith God, here is a
people very bad, stark naught as can be; and so will continue for
ever, if I let thorn alone, and do not begin with them ; I will therefore
prevent them, and begin with acts of mercy." [No, saith the half
Arminian, you must not venture on God for mercy, till you have
humbled yourself, and are fit for mercy.]
" For use. This calls on us not to think better of sin, but higher
of God, " She went after her lovers ; therefore I will allure her."
What a wonder is this ; to fill heaven and earth with admiration of
God's grace ? That God, notwithstanding sin, should be gracious, is
admirable ; but to take his rise from the occasion of sin, that is
more. Well may we annex, " A Behold, O stand and wonder that
a people should deal so with me, and I shall be gracious to them !"
How often, when we have been sinning against God, even then hath
the Lord pitied, and glorified his mercy to us? God might have
said, " Therefore I will caet thee into hell flames." But God hath
said, " Therefore I will pity." This may invite sinners to fly to God
for mercy ; because then when a people is sinning against him, that
is his time, sometimes to shew mercy. What will he do when a
people fly to him, and lie at his feet ? It may be your sins are many
and great, attended with sad aggravations : and you have, it may be,
sad thoughts of yourselves ; O be not afraid." [Some Legalists
would have said, O you must be afraid, or cast down to the brink of
hell, and mourn a long time, and when you find your heart soft and
tender, and that you have thoroughly washed your soul in penitential
tears, and have cleansed your heart from the love and liking of every
sin, then be not afraid. But without this self righteousness, the
good Doctor, like the good Samaritan, pours in the wine and oil ; and
saith, "When you are in your sin, attended with great aggravations,
be not afraid or cast down."] " But, in the way of faith and repent-
ance, look up to God, and hope for mercy and grace. Sin is thy
burthen: that which is the ground of thy fear, may as God orders
things, be a ground of comfort ; by making it an occasion to manifest
Lis grace. You may say, " There is no hope," as Jer. ii. 25. What,
no hope ! God forbid. Let thy sins be what they will, come but to
this God, lie at his feet, in the name of Jesus Christ ; plead for mercy,
and there is hope. He that sometimes takes advantage from the
greatness of thy sin, he will not slight thee, when in the way of duty.
And let me tell you, as to this poor nation ; if we be saved, it must
be on this account therefore. It is not their fasting, their prayingj.
their humbling themselves, " therefore I will save ;" but, " they gc
after \\y:'\x lovers, therefore I will save England, for my name's sake '
XXX TO THE CHRISTIAN RKADER
If England be saved it must be from the Lord's prerogative sovereign
grace. You have stubborn relations, that sin against God vvitli a
high hand ; wait and pray, God may take advantage from their sin,
to glorify his mercy. This therefore in the text is a pattern act of
grace ; so the apostle, " I obtained mercy that I might be a pattern."
So this " tlierefore I will allure her," is to encourage the faith and
hope of the people of God in all ages. But let none abuse this
precious truth, as you love God, and your own soul, do not " continue
in sin, because grace abounds," Rom. vi. 3. Though God sometimes
takes occasion, from your sin, to heighten his mercy, you must not
take occasion from God's mercy to heighten your sin. This skilful
Physician can make the worst poison sanative ; shall we therefore take
poison ? that is madness."
Thus this solid sound dispenser of the word of God, who was
never looked upon to be an Antimonian, thus, I say, the worthy
Dr. Jacomb asserted the free grace of God to sinners, in the worst
and highest sins, to be capable of mercy and pardon. And what doth
my father say ? or can any say more for the honour of free grace.
" Therefore to him that loved us, and washed us from our sins, in his
blood, be honour and glory for ever."
I cannot omit so famous a testimony against Arminian divinity, as
that of em nent Dr. Manton'g, at Pinners-Hall, the 3d of October,
1676, from this text, 1 John v. 12, " He that hath the Son hath life"
■ " Thirdly, (saith he) I came to confirm the connexiou. The
having life depends on having Christ ; first, because Christ is the
first gift in order to salvation. [The grand expression of my father's
that some cannot digest.] Therefore before spiritual life we must
have Christ. Christ is offered in the gospel to be joined to us, and
with him pardon, reconciliation, sanctification, and glory; there-
fore till we be possessed of Christ, we cannot be possessed of his
benefits : members receive life from the head, and branches from the
stock."
" First, The person is joined, and then comes grace, when we are
passed into each other's right. It is first, " I am my Beloved's," then
"he is mine," Cant. ii. 16. Christ first gives himself, then all
things. You must be brought to special relation to the person of
Christ, before you can claim benefits. As in the natural body the
spirits are from the head conveyed to other parts, so the Spirit of
Christ works in us, as members of Christ, by virtue of union to him ;
the Spirit not coming immediately from the divine nature of the
Father, or of the Son, but from Christ as God, man, mediator, and
his glorified humanity is the great means to convey it to us." [Which
dwelling of the Spirit in believers, is by some evaporated into only the
graces of his Spirit, not his person.] " One spirit (saith the Doctor)
dwells ill him, and in us ; the same spirit is in us, as is in him, to
TO Till!: CHRISTIAN READtlH. XXXI
shew that Christ is not only a political head, as some fancy, but a
head of influence, and gives life and motion."
Objection, " How can we have Christ before life, since faith,
M'hich is an act of life, receives Christ ?"
Answer, " Christ makes his first entry to the heart by his Spirit,
and by the power of the word he brings them to believe this is the
Father's drawing, John vi. 44, or quickening the dead, Eph. ii. 1.
The apostle calls it, " Christ's apprehending us," Phil. iii. 12, " That
I may apprehend him, of whom I am apprehended." Christ first
lays hold on us in effectual calling, when dead in sin." [And what
if he had said, " Reeking in sin, as Paul was."]
Now r shall conclude, after I have given a note or two from a
scripture, suitable to the calling God set me in ; which is. Matt. xiii.
45, " Again the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant, seeking
goodly pearls, who when he had found one pearl of great price,
(7rauTif*oy,) he went and sold all that he had, and bought it." That
this pcarlis our Lord Jesus none questions ; but this selling all for
him is much questioned, though not by those that find him. The
Papist, Socinian, and Arminian, apprehending some excellency in
themselves, they will be wise merchants inde»d, but make God a very
silly one ; they will barter with God, and give him their rotten rags,
their dung-righteousness for his pearl, and eternal glory, and so put
a cheat upon the all-wise God ; but he will not be mocked. But
the truly wise merchant considers how richly he was set up, God
making him upright in Adam, but the subtle broker, the devil,
deceived him, and he wilfully threw away his stock upon the serpent's
suggestion, for the shadows of knowledge of good and evil. He
sees the longer he trades upon bis own skill, the more bankrupt he
is ; and for all the vast debt he owes, he hath nothing to pay God
his great creditor, but a warehouse full of counterfeit, rotten, decayed
filth, fit only for the dunghill. At length this dreadful bewildered
merchant hears of a wonderful pearl dropped from the heavenly
. Indies, offered to such poor broken merchants as will accept him
witho\it money, or raoney^s worth, Esa. Iv. He being ravished with
the glorious radiancy thereof, shining with Diopbonon's translucency
into his heart, wooing and beseeching him in his blood-shed on the
cro-s to accept him ; this merchant, by the all-conquering power of
the Spirit, is brought to see into what a wretched condition he hath
brought himself, by feeding on the poisoned drugs of his own works,
and clothing himself with the filthy rags, the spider's webs he spun
out of his own bowels. He having found this voXvrti^of pearl, the
pearl having first found him, ("we loving him, because he loved us
first,") he sells all, he parts with all, he renounces all his whole
stock, *' accounting all loss and dung for Christ," Phil. iii. 9. As he
buys without money or price, so he sells without money or price : b*
TO THE CHRISTIAN READER.
•RVS all his sins upon the Lord Jesus Christ ; that is, he sees hy faith
the Lord laid upon him the iniquity of us all, and now gives up him-
self to be accepted in the Beloved, his sins to he pardoned in Christ's
blood, his services to be first washed, then accepted in the same
justifying blood, and righteousness of Jesus. Thus having parted
with all, he now, upon the gospel terms, buys this ttoXutj/xoi' jAoc^yoc^irvi* ',
that is, comes to Jesus, receives Jesus, believes in Jesus, as his
alone treasure, riches, store, life, righteousness, beauty, wisdom,
strength, and all, in him, to him, for him. This pearl now makes
him a man again, with this pearl he pays all his debts, he answers
the law in all its demands, only by shewing that this great, good pearl
is his ; he now is free from all arrests in his conscience, he comes to ^
the Exchange (to communion with God) again, he hath credit now
into all countries, especially in the heavenly Indies, whither, by virtue
of this pearl, he draws his bills of exchange every post day, that is,
morning and evening, and at all times, by faith and prayer, where
his bills have good acceptance, and always, when need is, they are
paid at sight, with gracious tokens of love and favour. Now this
merchant drives a full tumbling trade, his pearl whithei'soever he
turns it, turns all into grace and glory, he himself being changed
from glory to glory by the spirit of the Lord. This I take to be
selling all for this pearl, as the apostle did, Phil. iii. 8, 9.
But some will be cavilling ; What horrid boldness it is for any,
when he is reeking in sin, to lay hold on Christ, upon his call? But
if such were in the condition that a nephew of mine was in, that fell
from the ship into the sea, when the ship was sailing, he would say
otherwise. If the master of the vessel should cast out a rope, for him
to catch at, to save himself; would he say. Sir, I am not worthy: I
fell overboard when I was smeared with pitch and tar: lam not
clean enough to come on board again ? sure all the world would think
such an one mad. And is it madness not to accept of a temporal
deliverance upon an idle conceit ; I am not worthy of it? And is it
not much more madness, not to accept the Lord Jesus, and salvation •
by him, because we are full of sin ? Methinks all should conclude we
are under the greater necessity to fly for refuge to him. For preaching
which doctrine, my dear father was maligned by some, Avhen living.
Though God supported him wonderfully, even to his dying moment, in
the lively sense of God's being most glorified, in the highest exal-
tations of his freest grace to the worst of sinners. Insomuch, that
a fcAV moments before his departure out of this world, he spake to
friends, by his bedside, "Where are all those that dispute against the
free grace of God, and what I have taught thereof? I am now ready
to answer them all :" and so fell asleep. " He that hath ears to hear
let him hear." So rests S. C.
Clai'iiam, October 28, IG89.
TO AX-L THOSE THAT LOVE OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, A53
EMBRACE THE WORD OF HIS FREE GRACE ; ESPECIALLY TO
THE FAITHFUL HEARERS OF THAT HEAVENLY AMBASSADOR
OF CHRIST, DR. CRISP, GRACE AND PEACE BE MULTIPLIED
As in all things (beloved brell^ren) the provident care of the Lord
Clirist is manifested towards you his people, whose eye of faith he
hath opened ; so especially in sending this faithful " man of God**
among you, " who came in the abundance of the blessing of the
gospel of Christ ;" the very prints of the footsteps of the Lord s
grace and favour are most conspicuous. For as the Lord foresaw,
that you were to meet with more than ordinary straits and diffic-ilties
in these sad times ; so it pleased his goodness, to aflford a more than
ordinary support, to establish the hearts of his people ; that they
might not fear to sink in, or be swallowed up by those billows that
threaten continually to overflow them.
Now, there is none, I suppose, that is in any measure of truth,
acquainted with the " terrors of God," but he must needs confess.
That the one thing that is necessary to effect this establishment of
the soul from all distracting and distrustful cares and fears, must
needs be the assurance of peace and reconciliation with God. For
whilst God is looked upon as an enemy, what can there be but a con-
tinual fearful looking for judgment, and fiery indignation to
consume his adversaries; seeing our God is a consuming fire'
Hob. xii. 29. For if the estate was so dreadful, w^hich Moses
threatened to the Israelites, when he told them, " They should have
just cause of fear, both day and night, because they should have no
assurance of their lives," Dent, xxviii. 66. How much more terrible
must it needs be, when we not only carry this temporal life in our
hands every moment ; but also there is no assurance, but that " the
pale horse, on which death rideth, hath hell following after him,"
Rev. vi. 8 ; and so there is no assurance of eternal life ? This must
needs be just cause, with a witness, to fear both day and night.
Except therefore the soul be translated from under the dominion of
the king of fearSy and peace and reconciliation fully and freely
manifested ; the heart must needs (especially in such times as these,
X3CXIV TO THl! CHRISTIAN READER.
wherein it is continually called upon, " Where is thy rest?") be over*
whelmed with horror and distraction.
That therefore the Lord's people might have an impregnable ram-
pire, and sure repose ; that they might have a city to dwell in,
whereunto " the Lord hath made salvation itself, to be for walls and
bulwarks," Esa. xxvi. 1. Therefore hath the Lord sent the glorious
word of his free grace, in the mouth of this messenger of peace among
you, creating the fruit of his lips to be peace, I think I may truly say
unto thousands, both of them that were afar off in profaneness, and
to them that were near, in legal profession. For this free grace that
is set at nought, and seldom mentioned by many builders, but with
reproach ; the Lord will make the chief of the corner, and lay it
with joy and shouting of those that embrace it, though it should be
for a stone of stumbling to the adversaries thereof. This free grace
laid forth in the redemption that is in Jesus Christ freely bestowed,
is that only thing that is able to make us stand with confidence, both
in all the troubles of this life, and also before the tribunal seat of
God, even in the hour of death, and in the day of judgment ; when
all the righteousness of our own works will vanish away as the
morning dew ; wherein the great apostle desired not to be found,
Phil. iii. 9. Although he had a measure of it, far above the strictest
in these times : yea, there is nothing but the precious blood-shed of
the Son of God, that was able to deliver us from that damnation,
which the best of our own works and righteousness do daily and
hourly deserve. So that to think to rest here, is to sleep upon the
top of a mast, where every puff of wind is ready to cast a man into
the bottom of the sea. And surely, notwithstanding their pretended
deep humiliations, they seem never to have been truly acquainted
with the terrors of God, who dare appear before him in their
imperfect, and therefore sinful sanctification and duties. For if the
Lord God ran upon his only beloved Son like a lion, with such fury
and indignation, when he was but wrapt in our iniquities, that he
cried out in a most strange and lamentable manner, " My God, my
God, why hast thou forsaken me V Oh then, how should we dare to
look upon him, or come into his presence, in our own dung and rags,
covering ourselves with our own confusion as with a cloak : " For if
this was done to the green tree, what shall be done to the dry ?"
Luke xxiii. 3L
But yet althougb in regard of our own works, even the be&t cf
them, we have just cause to lay our lips in the dust for evermore : yet,
in regard of this free grace of God, being operative in his free
chusing in his free justifying and saving tis, not only, not for,
but *' not so much as according to the works of riglitfeOusuehS which
we have done," 2 Tim. i. 9. Tit. iii. 5. There is just :i>cla:i tH j«y
TO THE CHRISTIAN READER. XXX7
a'jtl exultation, and even of strong consolation, to them that ily unto
the throne of grace ; which hath been so faithfully, so evidently, and
purely set forth unto you by this glorious instrument of Christ, that
your hearts can testify, you were led forth by the waters of comfort,
whilst others wandered in a wilderness by the waters of Marah ;
that you enjoyed a feast of fat things, whilst others sat in Egypt
under their task masters, with their leeks and onions. And this the
Lord was pleased to manifest unto you, that ye might not go heavily
in these heavy and sad times, wherein men are at their wit's end : but
that ye might lift up your heads, because the full manifestation of
your redemption draweth near; that ye might with perfect boldness,
even unto a triumph, not only look in the face, but trample upon the
most terrible of all your enemies, sin, death, Satan, and hell itself,
through the great and glorious conquest of the Captain of our sal-
vation : for God, our Father, by this grace alone, hath not only
delivered us from this present evil world, but also translated us into
the kingdom of his dear Son, and made us freely meet to be partakers
of the inheritance of the saints in light.
It is true indeed, brethren, the Prince of darkness cannot but
exceedingly repine and fret, to see a stronger than he thus bind him,
and release his prisoners, and vindicate his captives into so glorious a
liberty. And therefore doth he bestir himself, with all deceiveable-
cess of unrighteousness, to retain not only the profane, that are
destitute of the life of God, through the ignorance that is in them,
but especially those that have a form of godliness in strict and
religious walking, who yet deny in effect the gospel of free grace,
which is the power thereof, because " it is the mighty power of God
unto salvation, to every one that believeth," Rom. i. 16. Hence come
those slanderous and calumnious imputations of Antinomianism, and
Libertinism, in doctrine; and of looseness, and licenliousness in
conversation; which vile slanders have been often cast, both upon
this faithful witness of the Lord, and the embracers of that doctrine,
VVhereuuto we must needs answer in the Lord s words, Zech. iii. 2,
" The Lord rebuke thee, Satan, even the Lord that hath chosen
Jerusalem, rebuke thee ; are not we as brands plucked out of the
fire?" And in the words of the apostle, " Wilt thou not cease to
pervert the streight ways of the Lord.?" Acts xiii. 10.
For was he, or are we indeed Antionomists, enemies to the law ?
Ciod forbid. Nay, we never were, we never could be truly friends
with it, until it pleased the Lord to discover unto us the words of
this life. The law looked upon us an enemy, shaking over us
contmualiy the rod of God's indignation, scourging and piercing our
Bouis ana consciences with scorpions, with menaces, with curses, with
terrible and austere exactions, and that we had no strength. How
XXXVl TO THK CHRFSTIAN READER.
then could we look upon it, but as upon a most, bitter anil iinpiat'.ib)*
adversary? "But after tbe kindness and love of God our Saviou*
appeared, wbo not according to tbe works of rigliteousness tbat we
bave done, but according to bis mercy batb saved us. After tbe
Lord Jesus had taken tbe band-writing tbat was against us, ana nailou
it to the cross," and exhibited a full satisfaction to all the law could
demand of us, or lay to our charge; this only was able to settle us
jn an everlasting peace, and reconcilement with tbe law. lligbt
reckoning, men say, makes long friends; but when the creditor and
debtor not o^dy agree in their accounts, but also the debtor is able
to produce a full acquittance for tbe uttermost farthing that was due,
there can be no breach, no jai'ring between them. The case is ours,
(everlasting praise and thanks be rendered unto the Lord our
righteousness,) our acquittance is recorded every where in the word
of his grace ; " Christ is tbe end of tbe law for righteousness to
every one tbat believeth," Rom. x. 4. " Wherefore we are become
dead to tbe law by the body of Christ, and delivered from the law,"
Rom. vii. 4, 6. *' So tbat tbe Lord will remember our sins and
iniquities no more," Heb. viii. 12. *' For we are not under tbe law.
but under grace," Rom. vi. 12: which is tbe most constant doctriiic
of that apostle : it is also sealed unto us by tbe blood of our
Redeemer, in as much as the " New Testament of grace is in force by
the death of tbe Testator," Heb. ix. 16, 17-
But let them take heed of the just charge of Antinomianisra, who
when the law requireth a perfect fulfilling, and continuing in ail
things, Gal. iii. 10, will make it content with lame, imperfect
performances ; nay, it must accept the will for the deed, rather than
they will be beholden for a full and free acceptance of wills and
deeds, and all, unto tbe beloved of tbe Lord, in whom the soul of
ibe Lord is well pleased, and the faithful are freely accepted. Is
not this to frustrate and make void the very end of a bond, to
make it content with some few farthings, when so many thousands
were due ? Let them also take heed that they be not guilty of
Antinomianism, who take and leave what of tbe law they see good ;
who cut off the curse, tbe rigour and all tbe punishment of it, at one
blow. Surely it is not safe to separate what God batb joined, without
good warrant from him. The apostle affirmeth, " That whatsoever
Uie law saith, it saith to them that are under it." He saith not
something but all " whatsoever tbe law saith, it saith to them tbat
are under it." So that there is never a curse in the law, which it
doth not pronounce upon tbe bead of him that is under it.
And our Saviour himself saith, " Tbat heaven and earth ?bab'
pass away, but one jot or tittle of tbe law shall not pass away, till all
he fulfilled," Matt. v. 8. Surely the curses are as much as one ;ol
T«) TlIK CHRISTIAN HEADER. XXXTII
or tittle. He that shonlcl deny unto the laws of England the power
to punish such offenders as are under them, might justly be thought
and called an enemy to, and a destroyer of the laws of the land.
But as for us, we make not void the law through faith, but establish
it: we affirm that it remaineth in its full force and power, not only of
commanding, but also of exacting, of terrifying, of cursing, and
punishing every son of Adam that is under it, without the abatement
of the least jot or tittle. And whether this be Antinomianism or no,
let the church of Christ consider, and judge by the word of Christ.
The next imputation they cast upon this faithful minister of Christ,
and upon his doctrine, and his hearers, was that of Libertinism,
whereby if they mean that doctrine which Calvin charges the
Libertines withal, in his book against them, we may most truly say,
it never entered into the heart of this author to embrace it, much
less into his mouth to publish it. And if any hold, or spread any
such horrid assertions, we do utterly disclaim them, they are none of
us: we are as far, or farther from them, than the severest of those
that labour to fasten this imputation upon us. But if they mean by
Libertinism the preaching of the free grace in Christ, (even to them
that have no worthiness to procure it, no goodness or dispositions to
qualify them for i*;,) " whereby the prisoners are brought out of the
prison house, and the captives set at liberty, with that liberty wherewith
Christ hath made us free, that we should not be entangled again with the
yoke of bondage," Gal. v. 1," which neither we, nor our fathers were
able to bear," Acts xv. 10. Which, in a word, is freedom from sin
which is true liberty not to sin, for then it were slavery. If any
teachers in Israel call this Libertinism, then we are sorry that they
whose chief or only commission is to preach this gospel of the
kingdom, (which only bringeth salvation to them and their hearers
if they be saved) to the eflfecting this liberty iu the consciences of
the people, that so they might be helpers of their joy, should so far
frustrate the end of the Father's sending his Son into the world
described Luke iv. 18, 19, as to cast upon it such vile, reproachful
and blasphemous aspersions. But as for us, the comfort of this
doctrine is our crown and portion for ever; for which we cannot cease
but bless the Lord night and day.
He that saith this doctrine teacheth licentiousness, we are sure he
is a stranger to it, and never felt the power of it in his own heart
for can any thing else effectually " teach to deny all ungodliness and
wordly lusts, but this grace of God appearing ?" Tit. ii. IJ, 12. Caa
any man truly " find and prize this pearl of the kingdom, and not sell
ail that was of high esteem with him before ?" Matt. xiii. 46. la
there any other reason why w love God, but because he hath so
freciy and abundantly " loveV .s first?" 1 John iv. 19. Doth n<^
T'oL. r. d
iJ
TO THE CHRISTIAN READER.
under his feet, in comparison to the knowledge of Christ, desiring to
know among God's people, " nothing but Jesus Christ, and him cru-
cified :" yet was he not in any thing inferior to the very chiefest,
though in his own esteem he was iiotliing. And I doubt not hut
there is written such a testimonial of his learning in your hearts, as
few others can produce ; if the Holy Ghost by the Prophet Esaiah
may be judge of learning, " The Lord God," saith he, " hath given
me the tongue of the learned," what is that ? " That I should know
how to speak a word in due season to him that is weary," Isaiah 1. 4.
O how many weary spirits did the Lord by his ministry revive
Surely, if this be learning, the Lord gave him no ordinary measure
And indeed his whole life was so innocent and harmless from all evil
so zealous and fervent in all goodness, that it seems to be set forth as
a manifest practical argument, to confute the slanders of Satau
against the most lioly faith which he preached.
So after his natural strength was insensibly spent in the service of
the Lord by such constant and laborious preaching, praying, repeat-
ing and studying, oftentimes whole nights, to the impairing and
ruining his vital powers, it pleased the Lord to call him by his last
visitation unto his eternal rest ; wherein there appeared (both by the
whole course of his behaviour in it, but especially by those gracious
words, and joyful exaltations which continually proceeded out of his
mouth) such faith, such joy, such a quiet and appeased conscience,
such triumph over death and hell, as made the standers by amazed*
And withal, he forgot not (considering the cunning of Satan, and the
lying power of darkness) to profess before some present the steadfast-
ness of his faith to this effect: "That as he had lived in the free
grace of God through Christ, so he did with confidence and great
joy, even as much as his present condition was capable of, resign his
life and soul into the hands of his most dear Father." And so with-
out the least thought of recanting or renouncing the doctrine he had
preached (as some have falsely and wickedly spread abroad) after
some time, with contijiual flowing expressions of joy, he departed this
life, into the assured everlasting embraces of his Redeemer. And
now gracious Lord, who only art the Author and Finisher of our
faith, be pleased more and more to enlighten the eyes, and open the
mouths of all thy ministers, that they may not shun or be afraid to
declare unto thy people the whole council of God, even the utter dis-
ability and nothingness of man ; and withal the freencss of thy grace,
the plenteousness of thy redemption, and tliy salvation, to the utter-
most ; that the hearts of thy people may rejoice, and their joy no
man may take away from them. Amen. So i)rayeih
The meanest of the Servants of Christ,
Robert Lancaster,
TO ALL THOSE THAT LIVE GODLY IN CHIUST
JESUS.
Christian Friends,
It is your honour, above many professors in the world, to seal in your
sufferings the most refreshing and ennobling truths of Christ. Your life
which is hid with Christ in God, is that spark of glory, which hath always
attracted the most venomous envies of those men, who make the flesh their
residence. Be confident of this, that did you live in yourselves, you should
live more quietly in the world ; were you lower as saints, you should be
higher as creatures. Never expect to build peaceably upon earth, while you
lay not your foundation in the dust: the carnal mind cannot but be enmity
against that which is the basis of your principles, suitable to that expres-
sion of our Saviour, John xvii. 14, " The world hath hated them, because
they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world." It hath ever
been the policy of usurpers, to keep down those -.vhich can justly prove
their descent from the royal blood, lest they and their ill-gotten glory fall
together; so those that have unduly invested themselves with the title of
saints, presently contend for a room in the seat of the scornful, to disparage
and destroy those who can clearly shew their communion with a higher
blood than their own : where Christ doth most sweetly and clearly reign,
there the flesh will most presumptuously and cruelly tyrannize. However
(sahits) though it be your father's pleasure, to allot you the valley of the
shadow of death for your flesh to walk in, whilst your condition is in its
infancy, yet know, that your glorious union with the Son of God shall be
more than enough in this state to refresh and secure you : the world may
outrun you, and come first to the top of their glory ; but surely in the end,
the inheritance will be yours ; their first shall be last, and your last shall be
first : Esau out-wrestles Jacob in the womb, and comes first into the world,
and according to the signification of his name, he is a great doer, a cunning
hunter he was ; but Jacob that comes forth last, takes the game ; Esau was
the first-born, but Jacob goes away possessed of the birth-right and blessing
al«o. Thus doth your Father deal with you to make your latter end in
Xlii THE EPISTLE DEDICATORY.
brightness to outshine jour beginning: neither will your God deny your
bread here in the midst of famine : heaven rains manna in a wildnerness,
the rock gives water in the heat of drought. Believe it (you Gospel
Christians) your Beloved shall be all to you in the. wart o*" all ; that pos-
session which he hath in you, will for ever entitle you, A spring Mat »^,
and a fountain sealed, he will be in you an everlasting head for your supp.j
to all expences in all conditions, when the moisture of every thing below
him shall be exhausted by the creatures, which suck all they have from
thence, even then, and so to eternity, shall Jesus Christ be to you in the
height of his fulness. I know nothing you have that is long-lived but Jesus
Christ. Earth, more grossly carnal, and heaven more refinedly carnal, shall
pass away; even the kingdom of heaven, so far as it is made up of forms
and administrations, shall wither and die ; but the kingdom of God within
you shall ne^er be shaken. That divine nature which hath swallowed you
up shall for ever satisfy you with variety of contentments. Let not there*
fore your hearts be troubled, ye believe in God, believe also in Christ : you
are satisfied, that the fulness of all things dwells in God, be also convinced
that Jesus Christ, by his Father's appointment, is made partaker of the
same fulness : "^ For it pleased the Father, that in him should all fulness
dwell." Now, whatever Jesus Christ hath as a Mediator, you, in your
measure enjoy it ; for it is the great ordinance of God, that all the saints
should be sharers and partners with Jesut Christ; we are fellow-citizens
with him, and so interested in the immunities and privileges of the same
charter with him ; that as in our first estate we had all which Adam had, so
also in our second, we have all which Christ hath ; why then doth paleness
appear in your faces, and trembling sit upon your lips ? as if in the frowns
of the creature all your felicity was buried. Oh remember you are one
spirit with him, whose presence is a constant spring, in a vision of whose
glory your beauty will be always lovely. I leave it as my humblfe request to
you, that you would not forget your resting-place: for the least ignorance
of that will make you apprehend every condition full of anxiety : this was
that which was the bottom of Israel's misery, Jer. 1. 6. " They have
(saith the text) forgotten their resting-place:" or, their place to lie down in,
as the original will bear it. If you make the creatures, or your ordinance
privileges your duties, or your own righteousness to be your resting-places,
tne least disturbance in the pursuit of all, or any of these, will be very
grievous and distracting ; but if the Spirit helps you to remember him to be
your rest, who is the rest of God, trouble upon any of your enjoyments
below himself will not have an uncomely influence upon you. To see a
man fretting and vexing, that whilst he was riding his journey, noises did
THB EPISTLB DEDICATORY. zllU
keep him waking, would evince our reason to believe that this man had for-
gotten that his resting-place was somewhere else : so to see you, whilst you
were in your travel, discontented at that unquietness wherewith you are
infested, would bring you under this suspicion, that you had forgotten your
resting-place ; Israel expected beds in the wilderness, when God had
appointed Canaan to be their rest, and this was the ground of all their
inurmurings against God's dispensations. Oh that the Spirit therefore would
always in the midst of sin and misery, lead you to the Bock that is higher
than yourselves, or any thing you esteem above yourselves. Many, as they
create troubles, so also create remedies, even such, which God never sealed:
many times we sin, and then endeavour to make use of sin for a cure : we
break a command of God, and then call upon some duty or other below
Christ, to make up that breach ; and thus we bring a double pain and vexa-
tion upon ourselves. When a wound is made by a weapon, a contrary
plaister applied, makes it more incapable of cure than it was before : so it
is with all distempers in your souls, by reason of sin ; if you look upon any
beside the brazen Serpent, your distemper will return with double vigour
upon you. But certainly, one vision of Jesus Christ will bid defiance to
the stoutest of your lusts, and all the powers of darkness combined with
them, and in an encounter will more than conquer them. The host of
Israel was very great, and well prepared for the battle, but if ever the day
be won, David must come into the field. Our fastings and prayers appear a
huge host, but they will rather gaze upon us, than engage against an enemy,
if Jesus Christ be not in the field ; but the very countenance of Jesus Christ
doth soon still the enemy and the avenger, and makes all the issue of sin in
the soul, to prove abortive. The marrow of this you have clearly laid open
in the demonstration of the Spirit, in the following Sermons, which I am
confident, to all that are led by the Spirit, will be a full vindication of the
truth of Christ, and of the worthy Author from those base aspersions cast
upon both by pride and ignorance. You shall find the sum of this Work,
to be the sole exaltation of the Lord Jesus in saints and duties, and the
debasing and trampling upon all flesh that shall aspire to the seat of Christ,
the reviving and encouraging of drooping hearts, by presenting Christ, not
themselves, in all his accomplishments to them. Now, if the world shall
baptize this doctrine Antinomianism, the Lord grant that all the doctrine
preached throughout the world, may deservedly be called by that name. Yo
that know Christ, be not afraid, notwithstanding all the censures of the
world, to read a book, and receive the truth ; be assured it is not presented
to thee as a bait, which is an introduction to a snare, but if the spirit of
Jesus accompany it, thou wilt certainly say, as Christ did, " I have meat to
Xliv THE EPISTLE DEUfCATORV.
eat which ye know not of." I should rather cloud the Work, than honour if,
if I should proceed to a further commendation of it. 1 leave it therefore to
the Spirit to make out the worth of it to the spirits of the saints, and am
concluded under this faith, that all the malice and carnal M'isdom of tliis
generation shall never be able to interrupt the course of it. As for the
Author, though he never was known to me, yet those AVorks of his which 1
have perused, do encourage me to believe that whilst he lived in the world,
he lived in God, and now his earthly tabernacle being dissolved, he is taken
up into that fulness which he only saw in part whilst he lived here ; and
tliough whilst he was upon earth, it might be his portion, with his Lord and
Master, to he mocked and buffeted in the High Priest's hall, yet now sits
with him in the fruition of that glory for which he was then a sufferer.
What now remains, but that ye which through the spirit have tasted the
sweetness of his ministry in the same spirit, look up to our Father, and beg
of him, that those who survive in the work of the gospel, may go on where
he left, and in the plentiful effusion of the Spirit, the glorious truths of
Christ may be amongst the saints, as the sun in its height ? And among
the rest, forget not him (though unworthy to be numbered with them) who
is ambitious of nothing else, but to be
All in Christ, and nothing in self,
George Cokayn.
April 13, 1646.
The Publisher informs the Purchasers of this Edition, that the three last
Prefaces (omitted in Dr. GilVsJ are printed verbatim from the Quarto
Edition of 1690.
London, August \st, 1832.
Ereatum. — Vol. I. page 133, line 31, in the early impressimw, disnbedienct wa»
pirated instead of ohedtenct.
SERMON 1.
CHRIST THE ONLY WAY,
JOHN xiv. 6.
I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE ; NO MAN
COMETH TO THE FATHER, BUT BY ME.
In tlie 33d verse of the former chapter, you shall find Christ
breaking the sad and doleful business, which he knew well would
SO near to the hearts of his disciples, namely, his departure from
them : " Little children, yet a little while ye shall seek me, but
shall not find me." Peter, upon this, asks him whither he goes ?
He tells him, whither he cannot follow him now, but afterwards
he snail. Now, knowing how sadly this went to the hearts of his
disciples, he laboured to raise them up, and to establish them
against the drooping that these sad tidings might occasion ; and
that is in the beginning of this chapter, " Let not your hearts be
troubled :" and therein doth endeavour to stir up their spirits ;
first, by telling them the expediency of that departure of his : it
was the purpose of God, that as all things should be wrought
effectually by Christ, so the communication of all these things to
our spirits, should be by the Spirit of Christ. Now Christ tells
them expressly, " That except he goes away, the Comforter can
not come to them ;" he, that must have the dispensing of those
things to their spirits, namely, the Comforter, cannot come unto
them. But, secondly, he stays not here : he encourageth them
with another argument ; " I go to prepare a place ;" and he tell/
iaem the place where ; " Li my Father's house are many man-
sions." And, least they should suspect, he tells them, " If it were
not so, I would have told you." And because he would not speak
in a cloud of these things, he tells them, " You know whither I
go, and the way ye know." Now Thomas comes in with an ob-
B
CHRIST THE ONLY WAY.
jection ; " We know not whither thou goest, and how can we
Know the way ?" Christ answers him, in the words of the text,
" I am the way, the truth, and the life ; no man cometh to the
Father but by me."
I will not spin out the time about the coherence and analysis
of this text : the main point is briefly this :
" Christ is our way, so that there is no coming to the Father but
by Him."
In the handling of which truth, let me tell you, that I know
this doctrine is generally received, as it is generally delivered ;
but, I fear, in the particularising those things that make up the
full truth of the doctrine, every spirit will not, nor can receive it.
That vou may, at least, see the clear truth in the bowels of this
general doctrine ; (for, beloved, you must know there is hidden
manna in this very pot) I say, that you may both see it, and taste
the sweetness of it, let as consider. First, in what regard Christ
is said to be " the way to the Father." Secondly, What kind of
wav he is. Thirdly, From whence he doth become this way
And, Fourthly, What use we may make of it.
I. In what sense Christ is said to be our way, that there is
" no coming to the Father but by him." You all know beloved,
that every way high-way, or path-way, necessarily imports two
terms, from whence and whereunto ; when a man enters into a
way, he leaves the place where he was, and goes to the place
where he was not. Christ being our way, the phrase imports
thus much to us, that by Christ we pass from a state and condi-
tion wherein we were, to a state and condition wherein we were
not ; the last term is expressed in the text, " He is the way to
the Father ;" the first term must be implied. To come to him,
we must leave some condition where we were before. Bear a
while with the expression, till I open the thing to you.
The state, from which Christ is our way to the Father, is two-
fold ; first, a state of sin ; and, secondly, a state of wrath. The
state whereunto Christ is the way, is, indeed, expressed here to
be to the Father ; the meaning is, to the grace of the Father,
and to the glory of the Father, The sum is this ; Christ is our
way, from a state of sin and wrath, to a state of grace and glory,
that there is no coming from the one to the other, but by Christ.
But we must descend to particulars, that we may know the fat-
ness and marrow of this truth j which indeed hath an inebriating
CHRIST THE ONLY WAY. 6
virtue in It, to lay a soul asleep*, with the admirable sweetnesiS and
excellency thereof; no music can tickle the ears as this truth may,
when it is truly and thoroughly dived into: no, nor tickle the heart
neither. Beloved, I must tell you, when your souls once find this
real truth, they cannot choose but say, we have found a ransom.
First of all, Christ is a way from a state of sinfulness. Now
what mystery is there in this, more than ordinary, will you say ?
Beloved, it is certainly true, there is nothing of Christ, there is
nothing comes from Christ, but it is in a mystery ; the gospel
seems to be clear, and so it is, to those whose eyes Christ opens,
but certainly it is hid to some persons that shall perish. " I
thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast
hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed
them to babes ; even so, O Father, because it pleased thee."
But what hiddenness is in this ? There is a two-fold consideration
of sinfulness, from which Christ is our way in a special manner.
There is first, that which commonly we call the guilt of sin, which
indeed is the fault, or a person's being faulty, as he is a trans-
gressor. There is, secondly, the power or dominion of sin.
Christ is the way from both these. First of all, Christ is the way
from the guilt of sin ; for a man to be rid of tAe guilt of sin is no
more but this, namely, upon trial to be acquitted from the charge
of sin that is laid to him, and to be freed from it : or for a
person, in judgment, to be pronounced actually an innocent
and a just person, as having no sin to be charged upon him :
this is to be free from the guilt of sin. A man is not free from
a fault, as long as the fault is laid to his charge ; he is then
free from the fault, when it is not charged upon him. All the
powers of the world united are not able to pronounce a person
faultless and an innocent person, but only the power of the Lord
Jesus Christ. He alone is the way by which a poor sinner, even
in this world, may be pronounced an innocent person ; even in
this world, I say, and be acquitted and discharged from the fault
and guilt of his sin. It is impossible the law should do it ; the
apostle speaks of it expressly, Rom. viii. 2, " The law of the spi-
rit of life in Christ hath freed me from the law of sin and death."
Here it is put upon Christ, to free from the guilt of sin. " For
what the law could not do, in that it was weak througn the flesh,
lor sin condemned sin in the flesh." " The law," saith the text^
• Matt. xi. 28. Hpb. iv. 3. Isaiah xxxii. 18.
B 2
4 CHRIST THE ONLY WAY.
** could not do it ;" not that the law could not pronounce inno-
cence wnere innocency was : not that the law could not condemn
sm, wnere it is condemnable by its authority : the law can do
this, if it can find subjects whereupon to do it. But the law runs
upon these terms, as it finds a person hims=^elf without fault, so it
pronounceth sentence upon him ; if it ^uds a fault in his person,
then it chargeth this fault upon the person alone, as thus:
" Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are
written in the book of the law to do them." Till then thou canst
not be absolutely freed from the acting of a thing in its nature
that is faulty ; thou canst not hear it speak any otherwise but of
faultiness, which it chargeth upon thee.
Much less can the heart of man acquit him as an innocent
person, or do away from him that sinfulness, namely, the guiit of
his own sin. " If our hearts condemn us, God is greater than
our hearts." " II a man say he hath no sin, he is a liar," saith
St. John, " and the truth is not in him." If the heart should say
to any man he is an innocent person, it doth but lie.
If angels should spend their strength, and should be annihi-
lated, to procure the innocency of a poor sinner ; alas, their very
being is too poor a price, or too mean a value, to take away the
sins of the world.
Beloved, to go a little farther in it, it is not man's righteous-
ness that he does, though assisted by the Spirit of God in the
acting of it, that can pronounce him an innocent person, that
can be a way to him from his fault and guiltiness. This you
know, that the payment of the last half year's rent is no payment
for the first half year's rent, nor is it amends for the non-pay-
ment of that which was due before ; if that had been paid before,
this likewise must be paid now. Suppose a man could perform
a righteous action without blame, what satisfaction is this for
former transgressions ? Nay, beloved, let me tell you, there is
nothing but menstruousness, as the prophet Isaiah speaks, in
the best of man's righteousness, " All our righteousness is a men-
struous cloth :" but as for Christ, that blessed Saviour, he is able
to " save to the uttermost them that come to God by him ;" not
only to save them in respect of glory hereafter, but also to save
them in respect of sinfulness here ; to snatch them as a fire-brand,
out of the fire of their own sin, to deliver them from their own
transgression. Christ, I say, is the way, and the absolute and
CHRIST THE ONLr WAY, 5
complete way, to rid every soul, that comes to God by him, from
all filthiness ; so that the person to whom Christ is the way,
stands in the sight of God, as having no fault at all in him.
Beloved, these two are contradictions, for a person to be rec-
koned a faulty person, and yet that person to be reckoned a just
or an innocent person ; if he be faulty, he is not innocent ; if he
be innocent, he is not faulty. Now it is the main stream of the
whole gospel, that Christ justifies the ungodly. If he himself
justifies him, there is no fault to be cast upon him; mark it well,
as that wherein consists the life of your soul and the joy of your
spirits. I say, it holds forth the Lord Christ as freely tendering
himself to people, as considering them only as ungodly persons
receiving him ; you have no sooner received him, but you are
instantly justified by him, and, in this justification, you are dis-
charged from all the faults that may be laid to your charge.
There is not one sin you commit, after you receive Christ, that
God can charge upon your person*.
A man would think, that there needs not much time to be
spent to clear such a truth as this is, being so currently carried
along by the whole stream of the gospel. But, beloved, because
I know tender hearts stumble much at it, give me leave to clear
it unto you by manifest scriptures, such as are written in such
great letters, as he that runs may read them. Observe, that in
Psalm li. " Wash me," saith David ; what then ? " I shall be
whiter than snow." Snow, you know, hath no spot at all, no
fault, no blemish. David shall be less blameable, have less
faultiness, have less spottedness in him, than is in the very snow
itself. In Canticles iv. 7, you shall find Christ speaking strange
language to his church ; admirable language indeed ; " Thou art
fair my love," saith Christ, " thou hast no spot in thee at all."
I do but cite the very words of the text, therefore let none cavil,
least they be found fighters against God ; " she hath no spot in
her." In Isaiah liii. where he speaks admirably concerning the
effectualness of Christ's death, he tells us, " That the Lord hath
laid upon him the iniquity of us all :" thy iniquities, my iniqui-
ties ; as our forefathers' iniquities, so our posterity's iniquities ;
the iniquities of us all the Lord hath laid upon Christ ; they can-
* That is, to condemnation; because all have been charged on Cliiisr. and he has
made satisfaction for them ; and besides, in this manifestative justification the Doctor
is speaking of, there is an open and full discharge from all sin.
6 CHRIST THE ONLY WAY.
not lie upon Christ, and us too. If they be reckonea to the charge
of Christ, they are not reckoned to the charge of the person that
doth receive this Christ : but " The Lord hath laid them upon him,"
saith the text. And what iniquity ? Doth he lay upon him
some iniquity, and leave some iniquity to us ? Look into
Ezek. xxxvi. 25, and you shall see the extent of iniquities that
God hath laid upon Christ ; that he takes away from the sinner,
I mean the sinner justified by Christ that received him : there
you have the covenant largely repeated, the new covenant ; not
according to the covenant God made with our fathers : and the
first words of the covenant are these : " I will sprinkle you with
clean water, and ye shall be clean from all your filthiness, and
from all your idols will I cleanse you." From all your filthiness ;
small sins, as some will call them ; great sins, turbulent sins,
scandalous sins, any sins, any filthiness ; I will cleanse you from
all your filthiness, and from all your idols. Look into Ezek.
xvi. 7, a notable chapter indeed, setting open the unsearchable
riches of the love of Christ to men ; " I found thee polluted in
thy blood," saith he ; such blood " that no eye could pity thee, or
do any good to thee." Well, no creature doth pity him ; was it
so with God ? No. " "When I saw thee polluted in thy blood,
I said unto thee, live ; yea, when I saw thee polluted in thy
blood, I said unto thee live ; when I passed by thee, thy time
was the time of love," saith God, " I spread my skirt over thee."
Mark it, I pray you ; not a scanty skirt to cover some of this
blood and filth, but a broad skirt, a large skirt, a white raiment,
as Christ calls it himself, in the Revelation ; " I counsel thee to
buy of me white raiment, that thy nakedness may not appear."
It seems there is such a covering of Christ, that he casts upon a
person, while he is considered in his blood, that covers his na-
kedness, that none of it doth appear : and yet, a little further in
Ezek. xvi. then was she dyed in deep water, after she was in co-
venant ; " yea I thoroughly washed away thy blood :" and this
was added, that no man might cavil. It is true, God casts a co-
vering over our sinfulness, but it is our sinfulness still ; it is but
covered ; nay, saith the Lord, I have washed it away ; " then
washed I thee with water." But some will say, these are obscure
texts, and mystical ; a man cannot build upon these, that fault-
iness is not reckoned to believers, being taken off by Christ.
To come, therefore, to a clearer manifestation of the gospel,
CHRIST THE ONLY WAY.
mark what the apostle saith in Ephesians v. 25. Christ " purges
and sanctifies his church, tliat he might present it to himself, not
having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing, but that it may be
holy, and without blame." The words run in the present tense ;
not that in glory only we shall be without spot, but now, even
now, we shall be without blemish, we shall be without spot and
wrinkle ; and that he might now present us to himself. So in
2 Cor. V. 21. you shall see the truth spoken more emphatically,
the apostle runs in a mighty strain in this business ; " He was
made sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God
in him." Both terms are expressed in the abstract ; he was made
sin for us ; here you see plainly, our sins are to be translated to
Christ, that God reckons Christ the very sinner* ; nay, God
reckons all our sins to be his, and makes him to be sin for us ;
and what is the fruit of this ? We are thereby made the right-
eousness of God in hira. If we be righteousness, where is our
sinfulness to be charged upon us ? He tells us expressly, in
1 John i. 7. " That the blood of Christ cleansethus from all sin ;"
the blood of Christ doth cleanse us : he doth not say, the blood
of Christ shall cleanse us from all sin ; but he saith, for the pre-
sent time, the blood of Christ doth cleanse us from all sin. John
the Baptisthath this expression, " Behold the Lamb of God, that
taketh away the sins of the v/orld," He takes them away. How
doth he take them away, and yet leave them behind, and yet
charge them upon the person that doth believe ? The person
must be discharged, or else how can they be taken away. This
is the main thing imported in that notable sacrifice of the scape-
goat, Lev. xvi. 21. The high-priest must lay his hand upon the
head of the goat to be carried away into the wilderness ; the
text saith, " It was the laying the sins of the people, and that
when they were laid upon him, he goes into the wilderness."
He goes into the wilderness, and leaves their sins behind hira ;
then the end of this service were frustrated ; for he was to carry
them away upon him : so Christ, as the scape-goat, hath our
sins laid upon his back, and he carries them away ; and, there-
fore, in Psalm ciii. 12. it is said, " That God removes our sins
from us, as far as the East is from the West ; he casts our sins
• That, is by imputation ; not as the author and committer of sin ; and, in the
same way, God reckons our sins to he Christ's ; not as committed by him, but as
imputed to him.
H CHRIST THB ONLY WAY.
into the bottom of the sea." Besides all these texts of scripture,
I might produce multitudes more, if need were, for this pur-
pose ; but, I think, there can be nothing in the world more clear
than this truth, that Christ is such a way to a poor believing soul
that he hath received, that he might take and carry away all the
sins of such a person ; that he is no longer reckoned as having
sins upon him.
But some will object, do not those that receive Christ actually
commit sin ?
I answer, yea, they do commit sin, and the truth is, they can
do nothing but commit sin. If a person that is a believer hath
any thing in the world, he hath received this, that if he doth any
thing that is good, it is the Spirit of God that doth it, not he ;
therefore, he himself doth nothing but sin ; his soul is a mint of
sin. But then, you will say, if he doth sin, must not God charge
it where it is 1 Must not he be reckoned to be a sinner, while
he doth sin? I answer, no; though he doth sin, yet he is not
to be reckoned a sinner*, but his sins are reckoned to be taken
away from him. A man borrows a hundred pounds ; some man
will say, doth he not owe this hundred pounds, seeing he bor-
rowed it ? I say, no, in case another hath paid the hundred
pounds for him. A man doth sin against God, God reckons not
his sin to be his, he reckons it Christ's ; therefore he cannot
reckon it his. If the Lord did lay the iniquity of men upon
Christ (as I said before), then how can he lay it upon their per-
sons ? Thou hast sinned, Christ takes it oif ; supposing, I say,
thou hast received Christ. And as God doth reckon sin to
Christ, and charges sin upon him, so, if thou be of the same
mind with God, thou must also reckon this sin of thine upon
Christ ; his back hath borne it, he hath carried it away.
For my part, I cannot see what every person will object; I
will endeavour to make this truth clear as the day to you. Do
but consider with yourselves what Christ came into the world for
* Not that the believer, who has received Christ, ceases to be a sinner in himself;
for the Doctor aiErms, in this same paragraph, that he commits sin, and does nothing
but sin ; and mvich less that he ceased to be a sinner, before he was a believer, or
from the death of Christ, as D. W. in his " Gospel Truth, &c." falsely ascribes to him,
on account of this passage ; but the sense is, that a believer having received Christ
IS not reckoned as a sinner in the sight of Go'd, and in the eye of justice, and as
considered in Christ, all his sins being charged to him, and expiated and atoned for
by his sacrifice ; as also, seeing such a one has received, with Christ, a dischaige
from all his sins into his own conscience, he should reckon himself, and his sins, M
God does, wiio reckons them to Christ, and not to him.
CHRIST THE ONLY WAY. 9
if not to take away the sins of the workl? He need never to
have died, but to take away the sins of the world. Did he come
to take them away, and did he leave them behind him ? Tlien
he lost his labour. Did he not leave them behind him ? then his
person is discharged of them from whom he hath taken them '■
but if the person be not discharged of them, he is not a justified
person in himself; neither can you account his person justified
as long as you account his sin upon him. It is a contradiction
to say, that a man is innocent, yet guilty. Beloved, then here
is a point of strange ravishing usefulness to souls, that can but
draw towards it and receive it. All the difficulty lies, whether
it be my portion, and thy portion; whether I may say, Christ is
my way, thus from this guilt, that there can be none of this
charged upon me. I say, if thou dost receive Christ, if thou
dost but set footing into this wa}^, Christ; as soon as ever thou
art stept into this way, thou art stept out of the condition thou
wast in. Men's receiving of Christ ! what is that ? you will sav.
To receive him, is to come to him; " He that comes to me I will
in no wise cast off." Mark ; many think there is such a kind of
sinfulness that is a bar to them ; that though they would have
Christ, yet there is not a way open for them to take him. Be-
loved, there is no way of sinfulness to bar thee from coming to
Christ ; if thou hast a heart to come to him, and, against all ob-
jections to venture thyself with joy into the bosom of Christ, for
the discharge of all thy sinfulness ; Christ himself (which I trem-
ble to express, though it be with indignation) he should be a
liar, if thou comest to him, and he casts thee off. " Every one
that will," saith he, " let him come and drink of the water of life
freely." You shall find, beloved, the great complaint of Christ,
thus, " He came to his own, and his own received him not:" and
to the Scribes and Pharisees, " Ye will not come to me, that ye
might have life." The truth is, men dote upon the establishing
of a righteousness of their own to bring them to Christ ; and it is
but presumptuous, or licentious doctrine, that Christ may be
their Christ, and they receive him, and be considered simplv
ungodly, as enemies : but they are abominably injurious to the
faith of Jesus Christ, to the exceeding bounty of that grace of
his, who saves from sin, without respect of any thing in the
creature, that he himself might have the praise of the gloTy of
his grace. The covenant, concerning the blotting out of
10 CHRIST THE ONLY WAY.
transgressions, is a free covenant : " Not for thy sake do I this,
be it known unto thee," saith the Lord, " for thou art a stubborn
and stiiF-necked people ; but for my own sake do I this." All
this grace to acquit thy soul, here and hereafter, comes out of the
bowels of God himself; and he hath no other motive in the
world, but simply, and only, his own bowels, that put him upon
the deliverance of a poor wretch from iniquity, and discharge of
sin, from that load which otherwise would grind and crush him
to powder : I say, his own bowels are the motive. God neither
looks to any thing in the creature to win him to shew kindness,
nor yet any thing in the creature to debar him ; neither righteous-
ness in men that persuades God to pardon sin ; nor unrighteous-
ness in men that hinders him from giving this pardon, and
acquitting them from their transgressions ; it is only and simply
for his own sake he doth it unto men.
Thus you have seen the first particular, that I have endea-
voured to clear from all cavils and objections that may be laid
upon it.
In one word, beloved, mistake me not, I am far from imagining
any believer is freed from acts of sin ; he is freed only from the
charge of sin ; that is, from being a subject to be charged with
sin ; all his sins are charged upon Christ, he being made sin for
him ; yet Christ is not an actual sinner ; but Christ is all the
sinners in the world by imputation * ; and through this imputa-
tion all our sins are so done away from us, that we stand as
Christ's own person did stand, and doth stand in the sight of
Godf. Now, had not Christ made a full satisfaction to the
Father, he himself must have perished under those sins that he
did bear ; but in that he went through the thing, and paid the
full price, as he carried them away from us, so he laid them
down from himself. So that now Christ is freed from sin, and
* This shews what is the Doctor's true sense in a former passage, p. 7, where he
says Christ is " the very sinner ;" that is, by imputation, as here explained, and not au
actual sinner. One would be tempted to think, at first reading this clause, that the
Doctor was for universal redemption, when he says, that Christ is " all the sinners in
the world" by imputation ; and, perhaps, such expressions as these, with some others
that will be obsei-ved hereafter, made the learned Hoornbeck conclude, that he held the
doctrine of universal redemption ; but his sense is not, that Christ personated all the
sinners in the world, or had all the sins of every individual person laid on him ; but
that he was all those sinners in the world, or represented them, whose sins v7or«
imputed to him ; and these, as he often says in his sermons on Isaiah liii. 6, were the
iniquities of the Lord's people, of the church, and of the elect.
t Col. ii. 10.
CHRIST THE ONLY WAY. U
we are freed from sin in him ; he was freed from sin imputed
unto him and laid upon him, when he suffered ; we were freed
from sin as he takes it off from our shoulders, and hath carried it
away : " Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden."
That is, with sin. And what follows ? " And I will give you
rest." As long as the burthen is upon the shoulders, so long
there is no rest. Therefore this doth necessarily import, that
Christ must take away the burthen, that we may have rest.
Secondly, Christ is not only the way from the fault of sin, but
he is the way from the power of sin. There is a threefold power
of sin ; there is first, a reigning power ; and secondly, a tyrannizing
power ; and thirdly, a bustling or ruffling power of sin ; and they
are all three of them distinct. Christ is a way from all these in
believers : from the reigning power of it ; so the apostle speaks
expressly, Rom. vi. 14, " Sin shall not have dominion over you,
for you are not under the law, but under grace." Grace there
is Christ himself. " His servants ye are, to whom ye obey,
whether of sin unto death, or of righteousness unto life ; but,
thanks be to God, ye have obeyed the truth." The meaning is
this ; while we are under the law, and have no better help, sin
reigns in us, the law cannot bridle it in; but when we come
under grace by Christ, the dominion of the law, or rather the
dominion of sin, which the law cannot restrain, is captivated and
subjected by Christ ; " I will subdue your iniquities," as it is
spoken by the prophet Micah. We are discharged from the
fault and guilt of sin, that is, absolutely at once * ; but the dis-
charge from the reigning power of sin, that is done by degrees ;
the faultiness of sin is left behind the back of the believer, but
the power and resistency of sin lie all along in the way; but
still Christ breaks through, and makes way, 1 Cor. x. 13, where
you have this admirable expression, " No temptation hath hap-
pened unto you, but such as is common to men ; God is faithful,
and will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able,
but will with the temptation make a way that you may be able to
bear it."
There is a tyrannizing power of sin, that is, not when sin is
chosen of the soul, as that under which the soul both affects and
Mrill live ; but when sin hath gotten a present over-mastery of
* Acts xiii. 39.
12 CHRIST THE ONLY WAY,
the soul, and in spite of all the spirit can do, will keep it under.
This, I say, is the tyranny of sin ; and this was the case of the
apostle Paul, Rom. vii, " Wlien I would do good, evil is present
with me : I find a law in my members warring against the law of
my mind, bringing me into captivity to the law of sin ; so that
the good I would do, I do not ; and the evil that I would not,
that do I." In regard of which he makes a bitter complaint ;
but mark the end of all, " But thanks be to God, through our
Lord Jesus Christ." Here you see, that though sin hath a
tyranny over the spirit of a person, yet through the Lord Jesus
Christ this tyranny is abated.
Yet, Thirdly, it is abated by degrees ; for the bustling power of
sin, namely, though it cannot be entertained, yet it will be
troublesome to the soul. Now Christ is the way, by degrees,
also, from this trouble of sin ; for by degrees he crucifies the
flesh with the aifections and lusts thereof, and brings down the
power of it by treading down Satan, that is the egger on of sin,
to make it so troublesome ; by overcoming the world, that admi-
nisters occasion of this troublesomeness ; " Fear not," saith
Christ, " I have overcome the world." But still, I say, he doth
this by degrees, and so he doth it by degrees, that sometimes he
lets the work be at a stand ; and sometimes the tyranny shall be
over the spirit, and the spirit shall be under that tyranny a good
while ; sometimes the spirit shall be under the troublesomeness
of sin, and be constantly exercised with it. But you must know,
that it is neither the tyranny, nor the troublesomeness of sin in a
believer, that doth eclipse the beauty of Christ, or the favour of
God to the soul. Our standing is not founded upon the sub-
duing of our sins, but upon that foundation that never fails ^
and that is Christ himself, upon his faithfulness and truth.
Men think they are consumed, when they are troubled with sin :
why ? because of their transgression. But mark what the Lord
saith ; " I, the Lord, change not ; therefore ye sons of Jacob are
not consumed." It is not, you change not, therefore ye are not
consumed ; but / change not ; I have loved you freely, I will
love you freely, I cannot alter : " Whom he loves, he loves unto
the end:" it is in respect of his unchangeableness.
Though there be ebbings and flowings of the outward man ,
nay, of the inward man, in the business of sanctification ; yet
this is certainly true, " That believers are kept by the mighty
CHRIST THE ONLY WAY. JS
power of God, through faith, unto salvation." They are kept in
holiness, sincerity, simplicity of heart ; but all this hath nothing
to do with the peace of his soul*, and the salvation and justi-
fication thereof : Christ is he that justifies the ungodly; Christ
is he that is the peace-maker ; and as Christ -is the peace-maker,
so all this peace depends upon Christ alone. Beloved, if you
will fetch your peace from any thing in the world but Christ,
you will fetch it from where it is not. " This people," saith the
prophet Jeremy, " hath committed two evils." What are they ?
" They have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and
have digged to themselves cisterns, broken cisterns, that will
hold no water." '
What is that fountain of living waters ? Christ is the fountain
of peace and life ; and men forsake that peace that is to be had
in Christ, when they would have peace out of righteousness of
their own, out of their great enlargements, out of humiliations.
These are broken cisterns, and what peace is there in them ? Is
there not sinfulness in them ? Who can say, I have washed my
hands ? If there be sinfulness in them, where then is their
peace ? Sin speaks nothing but war to the soul. Let me tell
you, beloved, you that look after peace from the subduing of
your sins ; what peace can it afford you, in case there be any
defects of subduing of your sins 1 There can be no peace.
Suppose God had nothing in the world to charge upon you,
but only that sinfulness in the very subduing of your corrup-
tions, what peace could you have 1 what could not God find in
us ? Suppose your eyes were enlightened to see yourselves, how
much filthiness there is in all your wrestlings ; I say, how much
defects and infirmities might you see ? Could you choose but
fall foul upon your own spirits, for these infirmities and defects
of your best performances, seeing the wages of sin is death 1
What can you run to then ? None but Christ, none but Christ.
While your acts, in respect of filthiness, proclaim nothing but
war, Christ alone, and his blood, proclaim nothing but peace.
Therefore, I give this hint by the way, when I speak of the
power of Christ subduing sin ; because, from the power of it in
* That is, to make peace with God for his soul, since Christ is the peace-maker,
saviour, and justifier ; otherwise to be kept in these things contributes to spiritual
peace of mind, under the influence of divine grace, and sprinkling of the blood oc
JesiUa
14 CHRIST THE ONLY WAY.
men, they are apt to think their peace depends upon this sub-
duing of sin. If their sins be subdued, then they may have
peace ; and if they cannot be subdued, then no peace : fetch
peace where it is to be had ; let subduing of sin alone for peace * ;
let Christ have that which is his due ; it is he alone that speaks
peace. It remains, we should speak further, that as Christ is a
way from sin, both in respect of fault and power, so he is a way
from wrath : and he is a way to the grace and glory of the
Father, and what kind of way he is. But the searching into
every corner of this truth, for the sifting of it, hath brought me
exceedingly back beyond my expectation. I shall have further
occasion in the afternoon to speak of it.
SERMON II.
CHRIST THE ONLY WAY.
JOHN xiv. 6.
I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE : NO MAN COMETH TO
THE FATHER, BUT BY ME
Now we go on : Christ, as he is the way from sin, so he is ihe
way from wrath ; and, indeed, must be the way from wrath, when
he is the way from sin ; wrath is but the wages of sin, the effect
wrought by sin. Take away the cause, and the effect dies ;
destroy the root, and the branches wither of themselves. Man's
• Let it be observed, that the Doctor is speaking not of subduing sin, as it is an
act of God's grace, and owing to the power of Christ, who has made an end of it, and
so made peace ; on this subduing of sin peace depends, Mic. vii. 18, Deut. ix. 24, but
of men's subduing sin, by their own power and strength, and in order to make peace
with God ; whereas subduing sin, or mortifying the deeds of the body, believers are
concerned for, is not of themselves, and done in their own strength, but through the
spirit, power, and grace of God; and not to make peace with him, but to show their
dislike of sin, their gratitude to God, and that they are debtors to him, to live after
the spirit, Rom. viii. 12, 13, wherefore subduing of sin is to be let alone for the end
mentioned, in order to peace with God, that Christ might have his due and glory, who
has both made and speaks peace ; otherwise subduing of sin, or the weakening tho
)X)wer of it, by the spirit and grace of God, is the concern of every believer, «ul is
ifished for by liim, and maVes for the tranquillity of his mind.
CHRIST THE ONLY WAY. 15
sin is the root of wrath ; when sin is destroyed and abolished,
wrath must needs sink and perish, Christ is so the way from
wrath, that all that receive him are wholly discharged, both
from Crod's affection of wrath, (as I may so speak) and from the
effects of that affection of his. Wrath is considered in these two
respects: first, Simply, as the displeasure of God itself; the
offence that God takes : secondly, In the fruits of this offence
that he manifests in the expression of his indignation and dis
pleasure. Christ is the way, the only way, the effectual and
infallible way, from all this wrath, to all that do receive him.
First, From the affection itself of wrath. Let me tell you,
beloved, (I would to God you could receive it according to the
manifest evidence of Scripture) God no longer stands offended
nor displeased ; though a believer, after he be a believer, sins
often *, yet, I say, God no longer stands offended and displeased
with him, when he has once received Christ; and unto them,
saith God, " Fury is not in me,'* Isa. xxvii. 4. And in Isaiah
liii. 5, (among many other notable expressions of God's being
well-pleased towards poor sinners through Christ) he saith, " He
was wounded for their transgressions ;" you have this admirable
expression of the effect of his wounding, " He shall see of the
travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied :" satisfied, here, is as
much as pacified ; they are all one. The travail of the soul of
Christ makes God such amends for the sinfulness of believers,
that he can no longer stand offended and displeased with them.
If God doth remain offended with them, there is yet some of
their sinfulness remaining to be taken away, that this offence
also may be taken away. All their sins must be taken away
from them, and all offences will be removed from them. But,
except God will be offended, where there is no cause to be
offended, (which is blasphemy to speak) he will not be offended
* As every believer does, and yet God is not offended with him ; the meaning is
not, that his sin is not offensive to God ; it is in its own nature, being contrary to the
nature of God, as the Doctor in a following page observes, and where he also distin-
guishes between God's being offended with the sins of believers, and with their per-
sons ; and it is in this latter sense he is to be understood here : for God loves them
with an everlasting love, and has no fury in him towards them ; and besides, all their
sins are fully satisfied for by Christ, who thereby has took away all cause of offence,
that is, sin. So the very learned Witsius, referring to this passage of the Doctor's,
observes, he is to be understood, respectu plenissimce illius reconciliationis quam
impetravit Christu, in respect of that most full reconciliation which Christ bac
ootamed, and which is adjudged to believers in justification. Aninuidv. Invcnicte,
c, 12, sect. 7.
16 CHRIST THE ONLY WAY.
with believers. For I say he hath no cause to be offended with
a believer, because he doth not find the sin of the believer to be
the believer's own sin, but he finds it the sin of Christ*; " He
was made sin for us ; God laid the iniquities of us all upon him
The blood of Christ cleanseth us from all sin : He bare our sins
in his own body on the tree ;" and if he bear our sins, he must
bear the displeasure for them ; nay, he did bear the displeasure,
the indignation of the Lord ; and if he did bear the indignation
of the Lord ; either he did bear all, or but part : if he did not bear
all the indignation of the Lord, then he doth not " save to the utter-
most those that come to God by him ;" as he is said to do, Heb. vii.
25. I say, not to the uttermost, because here is some offence,
some indignation, left behind ; and for lack of taking this indig-
nation upon himself, it falls upon believers. So that, either you
must say, Christ is an imperfect Saviour, and hath left some
scattering of wrath behind, that will light upon the head of the
believer ; or else you will say, he is a perfect Saviour, and takes
away all displeasure of God ; then there remains none of it upon
the person of a believer. Beloved, for my part, I understand
not what clouds are in the mind and judgment of other men ; to
me it seems, there is no truth more abundantly cleared, in all the
Scriptures, than this one truth of the transferring of our sins, ana
so the offence for them, wholly upon the back of Christ ; and
thus a poor soul hath rest from the indignation of God, as
Christ takes the burthen off from his shoulders. There is a two-
fold burthen ; first. In sin itself; and secondly. In the indignation
of God for it. Who can bear this indignation of his ? Christ
alone, and he hath borne it.
Yes, but you will say, Is not God offended at the sins of
believers, when they do commit them ? Hath Christ taken away
the offence against sin by his death ?
I answer. No ; therefore do not mistake yourself; there may
be easily a mistake for lack of serious pondering the words I
deliver. I have not said, God is not offended with the sins that
* Being imputed to him, and atoned for by him ; and so the offence by it, to the
justice of God, is ceased, having an ample satisfaction. So the above-men^;ioned judi-
cious professor Witsius gives the sense of the passage. " God is not offended without
a cause, there is no cause of offence but sin ; Christ has borne and taken away all the
■ins of believers, and the most just offence of God for them ; and not only some par''
of the offence, but all, all entirely, therefore there remains none that lies upon believei* ;
to these God says, ' Fury is not in me,' Isaiah xxvii. 4." Ibid.
CHRIST THE OiVLY WAY.
believers commit ; but God stands not offended with the persons *
of believers, for the sins commited by them. He hath that everlast-
ing indignation against sin as ever. And as there is the same
contrariety in sin against his nature, so there is the same contrariety
in God's nature unto sin. All contrarieties have a mutual con-
trariety against each other ; as water is contrary to fire, so fire is
contrary to water ; as sin is contrary to the nature of God, so the
nature of God is contrary to sin : there is an abhorrency of God
to that sinfulness, but not an offence in God to the person that
commits that sin ; because the offence of God for that sin hath
spent itself upon the person of Christ ; and, by having so spent
itself, there remains none of it to light upon the person of a
believer f; Christ having borne all this offence for sin. And
therefore, as I said before, either grant Christ hath satisfied the
ather, that he is pleased in his beloved son, according to Christ's
*wn speech ; either grant this, or say, Christ hath not done all.
In Matt. iii. is heard a voice from heaven, at the baptizing of
Christ, saying, " This is my beloved Son, in Avhom I am well
pleased." He doth not say, tvith whom I am well pleased, but i7i
whom I am well pleased; that is, in whom I am well pleased
with you. Though in our natures, and in the sinfulness of them,
there is matter of displeasure, yet in Christ, for all this, God is
well pleased with us. And yet there is none of God's indig-
nation against sin lost in all this, because he is not offended at
all with the believer : for he hath satisfied his own offence in his
Son more fully than he would have satisfied it in our own per-
sons ; we must have been everlastingly suffering, before God
would have been fully satisfied. Now, therefore, as the payment
of a great sum all at one payment, and at a day, is a better pay-
ment, than by a penny a year, till a thousand years be out:
mark what I say ; so Christ's satisfying the Father at once, by
one sacrifice of himself, is a better satisfying of him, than if we
should have been infinite days in paying that which his justice
requires, and his indignation to sin doth expect. So here is no
derogation to the loathsome nature of sin, and the purity of
God, and the great offence God takes at sin ; but only here is the
transaction of it from the person of a believer, to the person of
Christ himself, that willingly took this upon him : and not oii!y
• Jonah iv. 6, 1 Kings six. 4, 5, f 2 Sam. xii. 13.
C
18 CHRIST THE ONLY WAY.
did he take it upon him, but it was according to the determinate
counsel and purpose of God that he should do it ; nay, the
pleasure of God, " It pleased the Father to bruise him,"
Isaiah liii. 10. So much briefly for the affection of wrath, and
how much Christ is a way to take away that affection of God's
wrath ; that is, wrath simple, as it is an offence from him to a
believer.
Secondly, Christ is a way to take away the effect of God's dis-
pleasure ; Christ is the only way to take it away. " Shall I give
the fruit of my body," saith the prophet Micah, vi. 7, " for the
sin of my soul ? thousands of rams, or ten thousand rivers of oil ?"
No, alas ! this will not buy out the penance of one sin, when he
hath sinned ; it is all too mean a price : there must be a better
to take away that wrath ; that is, the heavy punishment of God
from a believer. I say a better price than this ; not a dearer
price to us poor men, but yet a more dear and acceptable price
unto God ; a price, in its nature, infinite and invaluable ; out,
of this price, not a farthing goes out of our purse ; there is the
greatness. Christ is a way to take away all wrath, in respect of
the heavy hand of God, which is the fruit of man's sin.
In brief, beloved, the sum plainly is this, Christ is so the way
from wrath, that God doth never punish any believer, after he is
a believer, for sin ; I say, God doth not punish for sin * This
seems to be a harsh proposition to many ; but give me leave to
clear what I say ; and so, according to the clear evidence of
truth, reject or receive what I deliver to you. In Isaiah, liii. 5,
a chapter of most admirable excellency to set forth the wonderful
and incomprehensible benefit of Christ: observe it, " He was
wounded for our transgressions ;" mark the punishment ; " He
was bruised for our iniquities ; the chastisement of our peace
was upon him : and by his stripes we are healed," Now, beloved,
I will ask but this question ; Are the wounds of Christ only part
of our punishment ? or, are they the whole of our punishment ?
The bruisings of Christ, were they to be part of the punish-
• The reason is, because the whole punishment, due to his sins, has bean borne by
Jhrist, his surety for him ; and to inflict punishment twice for the same sins, once
apon the surety, and again upon the believer, is contrary to the justice of God, as well
as derogatory to the satisfaction of Christ; for either he has borne the whole of punish-
ment, or only a part ; if the whole, which is the truth, then none can be laid upon the
believer ; but, if only a part, Christ's satisfaction is not complete, and then the believer
must be a co-bearer and co-saviour with Christ, as the Doctor obseiTes ; neither of
▼hich ought to be said.
CHRIST THE ONLY WAY.
19
ment our sins deserved ? If they were but part, we must bear the
rest ourselves ; but then, we must be co-saviours with Christ,
co-bearers of indignation and wrath. Isaiah liii. 5, " He hath
trodden the wine-press alone," saith the text ; " He looked for
some that might help, and wondered, and there was none." No
creature in the world was able to be a helper with him.
I speak of believers only ; they do not bear one lash of that
deserved wrath, that is poured out for sin, not one lash or stroke ;
Christ trod it alone himself. Yea, but you will say unto me.
Doth not God afflict his children and believers ? All the world
seeth and knoweth he doth ; therefore, why speak you against
this 1 Beloved, give me leave to ask you. Is there not a great
deal of difference between God's afflicting believers, and punish-
injr believers for sin ?
Yea, but are not the afflictions of believers for sin ?
I answer, No : afflictions are unto believers fro7n sin, but not
for sin *. Wliat is the meaning of that, you will say 1 God, in
afflicting believers, doth not intend to punish them, as now lay-
ing on them the desert of their sin, for that is laid upon Christ ;
but he doth afflict them in part to be a help to preserve them
from sin: I say. All afflictions to believers are to keep them
from sin, rather than punishment unto them for sin. Yet, some
will say, No men in the world are afflicted, but their afflictions
are for sin ; I answer. Yea, there are that have been. The dis-
ciples put a question to Christ, when the man was born blind ;
" Wliether did this man sin, or his parents, that he was born
blind ?" Saith Christ to them, " Neither he nor his parents :"
not that neither of them hath sinned, but that neither he, nor his
parents had any sin, as a cause of that affliction or trial upon
him ; but that the power of God might be seen in him. So God,
afflicting a believer, hath no respect unto sin, as if he did afflict
for sin. For my own part, I cannot see how a man can say,
Christ bore all the punishment of sin, if we bear any of it our-
selves. And, if Christ did not bear it all, I cannot see how
Christ can be a sufficient Saviour, without some other to help
him out, in that which he himself did not bear. I speak all this,
• That is, they are not punishments for sins, or are in a way of vindictive wrath
for them ; but they are in love, and for the good of God's people ; they are father!;
chastisements for sins, in order to take them away, or purge them from them, or pre-
sent them, or preserve from them, as the Doctor afterwards explains himself.
o 2
ShJ CHRIST THE ONLY WAY.
beloved, the rather because when poor believers are crossed and
afflicted in any kind, they are presently ready to suspect, God
hath cast them off for their sins, and is angry with them for sin-
ning against him. I say, in respect of sin he hath committed,
which he thus suspects, there is not the least drop of the displea-
sure of God, not the fruit of such displeasure comes near him ;
" But every son whom I love, I rebuke and chasten," saith the
Lord. God seeth that afflictions will purge, therefore he gives
them. The father gives not his child a purge to make him sick,
but to take away some bad humours that made him sick, and for
the prevention of diseases, or for the removal of some disease ;
that is the father's end in purging the child. And this is the
end why God afflicts his people ; not for their sins, but to take
them away*; that is, to prevent the hastiness and inconsiderate-
ness of a believer, that he may not be so rash, running head-
strong in his own ways, but may be the more considerate for the
time to come. It is most certainly true, beloved, that as soon as
ever a person is a believer, he is so ingratiated into God, and
with him, that there is nothing in the world from that instant,
unto a believer, but mercy. God managing his mercy in his
own way for the best to his ; sometimes by the rod, as well as b\
sweet-meats ; but still he runs in a way of mercy. " All things
shall work together for good;" this is God's way to believers.
And if this could but be received of them ; and that even then,
when they are as gold cast into the fire, that God, all that time
they are in the fire, as the prophet Malachi speaks, sits " as a
refiner ;" then they would be more quiet in the expectation of
that purity, in which they shall come forth, when the time of
their coming forth is : when you see the refiner cast his gold into
the furnace, do you think he is angry with the gold, and means
to cast it away 1 No, he sits as a refiner ; that is, he stands warily
over the fire, and over the gold, and looks unto it, that not one
grain be lost ; and when the dross is severed, he will out with it
presently, it shall be no longer there. Even so Christ sits as a
refiner ; when once his gold shall have its dross severed, then he
takes out his gold, and it becomes as gold seven times purified in
the fire. But still, I say, as a fruit of wrath, God never dotk
punish, or afflict, or chastise ; (which word you may rather use,
* Isaiah rxvii. 9.
CHRIST THE ONLY WAY, 21
because it is the ordinary phrase of the gospel) " Every son I
love, I rebuke and chasten."
In brief, Christ is the way from wrath, not only in respect of
the present, but also in respect of the future ; I mean a way from
everlasting damnation. Give me a believer that hath set his
footing truly in Christ, and he blasphemes Christ that dares
serve a writ of damnation upon that person. Suppose a believer
be overtaken in a gross sin, it is a desperate thing, in any man,
so much as to serve a writ of damnation upon this believer ; it is
absolutely to frustrate, and make void the mediatorship and
saviourship of Christ, to say, any believer (though he be fallen
by infirmity) is in the estate of damnation*. And I say unto
thee, thyself, whoever thou art, that thou art ready to charge
damnation upon thyself, when thou art overtaken, thou doest the
greatest injury to the Lord Jesus Christ that can be ; for in it
thou directly overthrowest the fulness of the grace of Christ, and
the fulness of the satisfaction of Christ to the Father. Art thou
a believer, and yet art thou in danger of damnation ? Where-
fore hath Christ suffered? Hath he died in vain? If he hath
not died in vain, but hath borne thy damnation, how shall he
pour forth this damnation upon thee again, unless he be unjust?
which is blasphemy to speak.
But you Avill say this is presumption ; then may a man go on,
and do what he list, there is no fear of damnation : this is the
way to take the bridle from men, and make them kick up their
heels, as the wild asses upon the mountains.
I answer, it is true, were a man to be guided by himself, and
to order his own way, according to the pleasure of his own will :
but, beloved, you must know, that the same Christ that hath
borne the wrath of the Father, and the effects thereof, doth free
poor sinners from damnation ; the same Christ takes as strict an
order, to restrain and keep in the spirits of a man, as to save
that man. Beloved, although a wild ass, being loose, runs at
random, yet this ass may be taken, and so tamed, that he may be
set as loose as he was before : yet he will not run as unrulily as
he did before, by virtue of his being tamed. It is true, our
natures themselves are mad, and, if they had the rems, would
run wild; but you must know, that Christ breaks this wlldnesg,
• John T. 24. 1 Thess. i. 10. Rom. viii. 38, 39.
22 CHRIST THE ONLY WAY.
and then he dare let a believer loose to that, in respect of which,
an unbeliever, a wicked man, would take advantage to sin
Jer. xxxi. 18, 19. Here the Lord discourses of Ephraim ; " I
have heard Ephraim bemoaning of himself," thus : " Thou hast
chastised me, and I was chastised as a bullock unaccustomed to
the yoke :" here is a wild bull, an unruly creature. You may
be sure Ephraim was thus : God hampers Ephraim well enough
for all this ; " Convert thou me, and I shall be converted ; so
after I was converted, I was ashamed, I smote upon my thigh, I
was ashamed and confounded within myself" Mark you, I pray,
now let Ephraim loose ; alas! Ephraim is ashamed. Ephraim
would blush to look after that which he was mad after before ;
he is confounded within himself; he cannot tell which way to
stir now, as before. Christ doth break the spirits of him ; so that
there is not now the licentiousness in him, through the power of
Christ, which was naturally in him, till the power of Christ came
upon him.
Why must not hell and damnation be a bridle to keep men in,
will you say ?
I answer, mark what the Psalmist speaks, Psalm ex. 3, " Thy
people shall be a willing people." Here you see how tame the
people of Christ are. Thy people are a willing people. How so ?
By fear of damnation ? No such thing. " But in the day of thy
power, and in the beauty of holiness," they shall be a willi ng
people. First, the power of Christ comes over a person, that
frames his spirit to a willingness and aptness ; then comes the
beauty of holiness, that wins, persuades, allures, and draws them
to willingness ; and where there is a willing spirit to walk with
Christ, there is no danger of taking liberty. The philosophers
observe a rule, that the will is not compelled ; a man cannot
constrain his will. Let the will of a person but be to the pleasure
of Christ, nothing can constrain him to go beyond Christ ; he may
haply be over-reached, ana be over-taken, but he will never break
loose ; he will never run away, though the gate stands open on
every side. The grass and pasture are so sweet that Christ hath
put a believer into, that though there be no bounds to keep in
such a soul, yet it will never go out* of this fat pasture, to feed
in a barren common. Therefore, in answer to the objectors, who
* 1 Peter i. 5.
CHRIST THE ONLY WAY. 23
naturally think there is a way open to such licentiousness, by
taking away all wrath from a believer, and that therefore he will
break into all manner of excess, I tell you, the power of Christ
restrains him. Thus I have dispatched the second thing, from
whence Christ is the way ; he is the way from sin and wrath ;
wrath in the affection, wrath in the effects of it.
I come now, in the next place, to consider how Christ is the
way, not only from sin and wrath, but the way, and the only way,
to grace and glory. Grace, in scripture, admits of a double
acceptation, proper and improper. We usually take grace for
that which is improperly grace ; for we commonly call grace
those divine qualities and virtues, and holy dispositions and
actions, wherewith we are possessed, by which we do improve
and employ ourselves in the world. This we usually call grace ;
and in some sense, it is grace : but that which is most properly
grace, is nothing else but merely favour and bounty, and loving -
kindness itself; and so, consequently, all sanctification is not so
properly grace itself, as the fruit of grace ; God first casts his
favour and loving-kindness upon a person, then out of his favour
flow the several fruits of his loving-kindness ; and the fruits are
those fruits of the spirit, frequently mentioned by the apostle.
Now Christ is a way to grace in both these respects ; Christ is a
way to favour and loving-kindness in God ; Christ is a way to
all fruits or graces, as you call them.
He is a way to loving-kindness itself, and the favour of God:
this loving-kindness and favour of God, consists in these
branches ; first, in a willing reconciliation of God, unto an
alienated creature. A person is then said to be received into
grace, when he hath been cast off, and forbidden to come near ;
as when princes cast men out of their favour, they confine them,
and remove them from them, that they shall not be near the
court : now when princes are pleased to cast a fresh aspect upon
those persons again, and so call them to court, and to be friends
with them, this is properly grace. So, beloved, after God seems
to have cast off a person, and to put him far off from himself, and
to remove him out of his sight, to confine him from coming near
him ; when he will return to him again, and will shew him the
light of his countenance, that he did formerly hide this is pro-
perly favour. The apostle, you shall find, doth expressly mention
this reconciliation of God, and ascribes this grac. nce-y unto
24 CHRIST THE ONLY WAY.
Christ alone, " Ye who were sometimes afar oif," mark but the
expression, " hath he made nigh by the blood of Christ;" here
you see the ingi-atiating reconciliation by the blood of Christ.
" God was inChrist," saith the apostle," reconciling the world unto
himself ; not imputing their trespasses unto them ; in Christ recon-
ciling," and therefore " Christ is the mediator of a better cove-
nant,"(as the apostle expresseth, Heb. viii.) Nay the apostle tells
us expressly, he is the only mediator, and there is no other to re-
concile men to God, but Christ alone ; " There is but one me-
diator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus." So, we see
plainly, to be at peace with God, there must be only the Lord
Jesus Christ that must make peace ; he himself is the way. I re-
member a passage in Job, when there seemed to be a variance
between God and him ; first. Job was at a ptiful stand, " I cannot
answer him," saith Job, speaking of God; why so? " There is no
day's-man that may come in between us, that might lay his hand
upon us both :" as much as to say, there is no hope of agreement
with God, till another interpose himself, and be a day's-man ;
that is, hath power over us both. Such effectual umpires be-
tween men are indifferent, and have both parties in difference in
their power, to command the one, and the other ; to command
the creditor to yield, and to prevail with the debtor to pay as
much as he is able; and this umpire is Christ alone.
There are many other expressions of God's grace, of his lov-
ing-kindness and favour, and it is plain, throughout the whole
scripture, that Christ is the only way to all. As to that adop-
tion that the apostle speaks of, (when he breaks out into admi-
ration) saying, " Behold, what manner of love the Father hath
bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God !"
" Is it a small matter to you" (saith David, speaking to some of
the servants of Saul, persuading him to marry the king's
daughter) " seemeth it to you a light thing to be a king's son-in-
law ?" So say I to you, " Is it a small matter to you to be the
sons of God ?" Oh ! great love ! But this great grace and
favour is only by Jesus Christ. In Gal. iv. 4, 5, it is plainly
Christ that brings this grace of adoption, to make us sons ; " In
the fulness of time, God sent his Son, made of a woman, made
under the law, to redeem them that are under the law, that we
might receive the adoption of sons." Here you see, all that
Christ doth, is to this end ; that at length, through that he hath
CHRIST THE ONLY WAY. 25
done, we might receive the adoption of sons. As Christ is away
unto the pure grace, and mere favour, and loving-kindness of
God ; so also unto all the fruits of grace, all the manifestations
of it in the expression of God's loving-kindness in the fruits of
the Spirit. To give you some instances :
The first of all these kinds of the grace of God, that he doth
ever bestow upon a person, is. The opening his eyes to see him-
self filthy, and to see what he is : here begins a closing with
Christ, to see a need of him, and to see the usefulness of him
being received. Now mark this great business, of the opening
of the eyes of a person, and you shall see he is a way unto it,
Isa. xlii. 6, there the Father doth treat with Christ, and in his
treaty he speaks thus to him, " I will give thee for a covenant
to the people, to open the blind eyes." You see this, it is
Christ that must open the blind eyes of men. Beloved, men are
mistaken that think that the law makes them to see their own
vileness ; for a gracious sight of our vileness is the only work of
Christ. The law is a looking-glass, able to represent the filthi-
ness of a person ; but the law gives not eyes to see that filthiness :
brinof a looking-glass, and set it before a blind man, he seeth no
more spots in his face, than if he had none at all ; though the
glass be a good glass, yet the glass cannot give eyes ; yet, if he
had eyes, the glass might represent his filthiness. The apostle
James compares the law to a looking-glass, and that is all the law
can do, to have a faculty to represent ; but it doth not give a faculty
to see what it doth represent : it is Christ alone that doth open the
eyes of men, to behold their own vileness and filthiness ; and when
Christ will open the eyes, then a man shall see himself what he is.
Secondly, Repentance is a great grace ; yet you shall find,
beloved, in Acts v. 31, that it is merely the work of Christ to
give repentance unto men; "God hath exalted him to be a
prince and a Saviour, to give repentance unto Israel." It is
Christ that grants repentance unto life ; and if ever you will
repent, with a kind repentance, either you must fetch it from
Christ, he must be the way, or you must go without it.
Faith is a grace of graces, the root of all graces to believers ,
and this is properly Christ, and none but Christ, that works faith
in a believer ; the apostle speaks this expressly, Heb. xii. 2,
" Looking to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith." He is
the author, it is he that begets it.
26 CHRIST THE ONLY WAY.
Thirdly, Consider the whole spiritual life ; Christ is the only
way to all spiritual life whatsoever. " I live," (saith Paul)
" yet not I, but Christ lives in me ; and the life that I now live,
I live by the faith of the Son of God." There is no life, but as
Christ lives in men. Whence is the natural life of man ? It is
from the soul ; the soul once separated from the body, is dead ;
so long as the soul is united to the body, the man is alive ; Christ
is the life of every believing soul ; Christ is he that frames and
gives life to men. Eph. ii. 1, " Ye that were dead in trespasses
and sins, hath he quickened ;" he it is that quickens men when
they are dead in trespasses and sins. And in John v. 25, you have
this admirable expression, " That the time is coming, and now
is, that the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God ; and
they that hear his voice shall live." There is no life but by
Christ alone ; he is the way tp all spiritual life whatsoever. So
in brief, beloved, there is not a scrap (as you may say) pertain-
ing to a Christian, but it comes from Christ alone.
Fourthly, God hath therefore filled Christ full of all things,
that we might fetch all from him. The apostle tells us expressly,
" It pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell." St.
John, in the first chapter of his gospel, tells us to what purpose he
was " ful of grace and truth," saying, " And of his fulness we all
receive, and grace for grace." The Psalmist, (Psalm Ixviii. 18,)
hath this expression, "Thou hast received gifts for men, even for the
rebellious, that the Lord God may dwell among them." The
apostle, quoting that text, turns the words thus : " Thou hast
given gifts to men :" it is as much as to say, that God bequeathed
as much to Christ, as shall serve for his body ; and this he dis-
tributes to the body, according to the proportionable need of it.
The head is first the fountain, and hath all animal spirits planted
in it ; then doth it from itself derive all those animal spirits to
every part, from whence all have their several motions. So that,
I say, the supply of all the believer's wants concerning grace, be
it in matters of mortification of sin, be it in the performance of
duties of piety, mercy, and justice, or any other whatsoever, the
supply of all must come from Christ alone, as he speaks himself
Rev. i. 8, " I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end"
of all things. " All my springs" (saith the Psalmist, Psalm
ixxxvii. 7.) " are in thee." He speaks of Christ in the name of
God, as ii God spake to Christ his Son ; " All my springs are !n
CHRIST THE ONLY WAT. 27
tnee :" therefore you shall find God always dealing with men as
Pharaoh dealt in Egypt with his own people ; they came com-
plaining of their wants to Pharaoh : " Go to Joseph," (saith
Pharaoh) " hear what he saith ;" he turns all over to Jo-
seph, Thus doth God deal with men : " This is my beloved
Son, in whom I am well pleased, hear ye him," saith God the
Father : therefore, Christ saith, " The Father judgeth no man,
but hath committed all judgment unto the Son :" so that Christ
is judge alone ; as Christ will dispose of all things, so his Father
sets to his seal, and under writes his hand, and never examines
what Christ doth ; but every deed that is signed by Christ, the
Father, without any more ado, seals it, and manages all things
by the hand of Christ ; therefore, Christ saith, in the last of
Matthew, " All power is given unto me, both in heaven and in
earth." The Father made- all over to him, every thing. The
truth is, beloved, the Godhead is absolutely a being of itself*,
but this Godhead was pleased to unite the humanity to itself, and
the Godhead having the humanity united to it, is one person f .
Thus it pleased Christ to manage all things in the world, not in
the Godhead alone, but as the Godhead hath the manhood united
to it. You must not conceive, when God makes over the manasf-
ing of things to Christ, that he sits still. But the Godhead hath
now the manhood united to itself; so it is Christ, God and man,
that works together ; and, by this kind of way, there is nearer
and better access for us unto God ; because here is an humanity
that is of some relation unto us, and so of near acquaintance
with us. The Godliead, in its simple nature, is of too remote a
distance, for us to come near.
Fifthly, Moreover, he is not only a way to grace, but the en-
creasing of it is in Christ. The apostle (Col. ii. 10.) tells us,
that " we are complete in him, who is the head of the body, the
head of all principalities ;" not only that we have substance and
being, but that we are complete in him : and, in the latter end
of the chapter, the apostle follows the allusion of the head and
body, and faith, that the " parts having nourishment ministi'ed
by joints, increase with the increase of God." When the parts
are united to the head, and the head, through the veins and
* Deut. vi. 4
f That is, the Godhead, as subsisting in the Son of God, is a person of itself^ *Dd
taking the humanity into union with it, both became one person. i
28 CHRIST THE ONLY WAY.
nerves conveys nourisliment to those parts, then the parts not
only live, but increase with the increase of God. The apostle,
1 Pet. ii. 4, saith, " To whom coming as to a living stone,"
(speaking to believers,) " you as lively stones are built up a
spiritual house :" he doth not say, stones that have life, but
" lively stones :" they have more than bare life ; nay, further,
" as lively stones are built up" together. There is a growing up
by the power of Christ, in coming to the " living-stone," as
the apostle doth there call him.
And that is not all neither ; we have not only growth by the
grace of Christ, but restoration * and recovery in case of relapse.
Suppose a believer fall, the same Christ that gave him life, and
set him upon his legs, must raise him up again when he is down ;
" Though I fall, yet shall I not be cast down," saith he ; that is,
I shall not be left, but shall be raised again : " The ransomed of
the Lord" (Isa. xxxv. 10,) " shall return unto Sion, they shall
rejoice with everlasting joy upon their heads ; they shall obtain
joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall fly away." They
shall return to Sion ; they were of Sion before : a man is not
said to return, except he were in the place before, and so is
cominff agfain : so the ransomed of the Lord shall return to Sion.
How ? they are ransomed of the Lord ; it is the ransom of Christ,
ihat brings them back from bondage to their Sion again ; and
when he brings them back, he brings them back " with ever-
Jasting joy upon their heads ; they obtain joy and gladness, and
sorrow and sighing fly away."
Thus I have endeavoured to declare the main thing, in what
kind Christ is a way from a state of sin and wrath, to a state of
grace.
I should have further considered what kind of way Christ is,
and upon what grounds Christ is become such a way as he is ;
but I consider the season ; I shall not therefore trespass upon
your patience, though my fingers itch to be dealing in that which
remains. There is abundance of excellency behind; Christ he
is a free way ; Christ is a near Avay ; Christ is a way of quick
riddance of all business you have to do in the way ; Christ is a
firm way, there is no fear of sinking ; Christ is a satisfying and
pleasant way ; " All thy ways are pleasantness ;" Christ is a
safe way, there is a continual guard and conduct in that way ;
* Psalm xxiii. 3.
CHRIST THE ONT.T WAY. 29
Christ is an easy way to hit; " Way-faring men, though fools,"
(saith Isaiah) " shall not err therein ;" Christ is a spacious
way, " Thou hast set my feet in a lai-ge room," saith David.
Now all this is founded upon the good pleasure of God ; he will
have Christ to be the way : it is founded upon the interest that
Christ hath in God ; it is founded upon the purchase of Christ,
that hath bought this for man ; it is likewise founded upon the
conquest of Christ, as he makes his own way, and beats all off
that keeps thee from finding this way ; it is founded, lastly, upon
his bowels to the sons of men, that can never pass over the
gulph, till he hath made himself a bridge for them. These
things I should have shewed you by setting forth the excellency
of this way. But of these hereafter.
SERMON III.
CHRIST THE ONLY WAY.
JOHN xiv. 6.
1 AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE : NO MAN COMETH TO
THE FATHER, BUT BY ME.
1 HAVE a word or two to speak more fully, if possible it may
be, to satisfy such as are not fully resolved in the things I
formerly delivered. Christ, I said, is the way from wrath, from
the wrath of the Father ; from wrath in its affection, (as I may
so speak ;) from wrath in the fruits of this affection of wrath. I
delivered this position indeed: " The punishment, or the rod
of God, or rather chastisement, is not for sin, but from sin."
Some stumble at the expression, peradventure through mistake.
In brief, therefore, beloved, to clear both myself and your judg-
ments, if it be possible ; when I say that believers are not
afflicted for sin, I mean thus ; God, when he afflicts a belie\er,
he hath not an eye to the desert of his sin, and thereupon doth
30 CHRIST THE ONLY WAY.
lay part of this desert upon his back; for Christ hath borne the
whole desert of sm upon his own back. Whatsoever desert of
sin the believer doth bear, Christ did not bear it, or else God
takes satisfaction twice for one thing. Mark it well, I pr'*Y, be-
loved, if the Lord will scourge a believer, as now pouring out
upon him what his transgressions hath deserved, wherefore did
Christ die ? Christ died to satisfy for the fault of sin ; and, in his
death, God was actually satisfied, as you shall find it in Isaiah
liii. " He beheld the travail of his soul, and he was satisfied
with it." With what was he satisfied ? He was satisfied with
" the travail of his soul ;" with the burthen his soul bare, with
the punishment of sin that was upon him. If God was satisfied
with the " travail of his soul," how can God come to exact a
new satisfaction by pouring out his wrath for sin upon believers ?
To be satisfied, and to ask more is a contradiction ; either he
was not satisfied, or, being satisfied, he could ask no more. In
brief, therefore, beloved, consider thus much, there is not the
least action, or rather intention of any revenge, for a sin com-
mitted, when the Lord in any kind afflicts his people : all the
revenge, that sin deserves, Christ hath taken away and hath
borne it upon his own back ; and, therefore, he is said to " save
to the uttermost (Heb. vii. 25,) them that come to God by him."
He saves to the utmost, saith the apostle ; he hath not left a
dram, nor a jot behind, not so much as the least scatterings of
wrath to light upon the liead of a believer, for whose sake he
bare the indignation of the Lord. Whereupon the very nature
of affliction in general is altered and changed ; as death in par-
ticular : it was the wages of sin at first ; it is become the bed of
rest now ; " They shall rest in their beds, each in his upright-
ness," saith the prophet. Afflictions were the rod of God's
ano-er ; they are now the gentle purges of a tender father. God
heretofore afflicted for sin, now God afflicts men from sin ;
" This is all the fruit," saith the prophet, " to take away his
sin :" not to take away the present sin, as if affliction did make
an end, and so blot out transgression ; this doth directly strike
at the heart of Christ himself*. But " this is all the fruit to
take away sin," that is, to break off sin, to prevent sin. " Before
• For it is Christ's work to take every present sin from off the conscience of tbe be-
liever, by the application of his blood and sacrifice ; hence he is said to b* " the LamV
of God that taketh away," that continues to take away, " the sins of the world."
CHRIST THE ONLY WAY. 31
I was affficted (saith David) I went astray, but now have I learned
to keep tliy law :" therefore, (saith he) " It is good for me that I
have been afflicted;" in this regard, because of prevention.
If you will but carry it clearly without carping, or a spirit
that seeks contention and quarrelling, you never need to stumble
at such a position as this ; for afflictions are the smiles of God,
as gracious as the choicest embraces. God never mahifests a
loving stroking of a soul, more than he doth, when he afflicts it,
to make his love appear in these afflictions. And the truth is,
as Christ has purchased rest and peace for believers, so he hath
likewise purchased afflictions for them too ; the wisdom of God
seeing afflictions as useful as dandlings themselves : but still, I
say, this remains firm, that Christ is a way from all wrath what-
soever, as it is the manifestation of God's displeasure unto the
creatures sinning ; and thereby pouring out the desert of this
sinfulness, or the fruit of the desert of this sinfulness, upon them.
Christ is a way to the state of grace ; grace in respect of favour,
grace in respect of the fruits thereof; and this we have dis-
patched.
The next thing considerable is, " What kind of way Christ is
to those that come to the Father by him ?" I shall speak as
briefly as possible I may. Take notice, in general, that the
Lord hath laid out Christ as a way, with all the possible con-
veniences that may either win a people into this way, or satisfy
and refresh a people that are in this way * ; he hath so furnished
Christ, the way, with all possible accommodations, as there can-
not be devised what the heart of man himself can desire, but he
shall find it in this way, Christ : so that all I shall speak of this
subject is, that as it may give abundance of light, so you may
apply it all along, by way of motive to stir you up, to quicken
you to set footing into this way, in respect of those several con-
veniencies that do accompany it.
In the first place, There is this great and ineffable excellency
and accommodation in Christ, the way, that he is a free way for
all comers to enter into, without any cause of fear, that they
shall trespass by entering : he is a free way, I say : a way that
costs nothing ; a way barred up to no person whatsoever ; a way
whose grates are cast off from the hinges f ; nay, rather, a way
•Prov. ix. 1, 2, 3. Cant. v. 1. + Psalm cvii. 16.
CHRIST THB ONLY WAY.
that hath no gates at all unto it ; a cheap way to us ; a costlj
way indeed unto the Father, and to Christ too. O beloved ! a
man might study a while to find out, whether there be more
preciousness in Christ himself, as he is our way, or in the fitting
of Christ to be our way. The person of Christ is invaluable,
there is nothing to be compared with him : but considering hira
as our way to salvation, whether there be more preciousness in
that, or in the fitting of him for it, is not so easy to determine.
" Ye are bought with a price, (saith the apostle, 1 Pet. i. 18, 19,)
not with corruptible things, as silver and gold, but with the pre-
cious blood of Christ." Observe it, I pray, that Christ might be
a fit way for us to the Father, it cost the Father, and Christ him-
self that, in comparison of which, silver and gold, and the most
precious things in the world, are called but corruptible things ;
which makes the apostle break out into a way of expostulation
and admiration, rather than into a way of affirmation ; " Oh !
what manner of love is this, that the Father hath bestowed upon
us, that we should be called the sons of God !" Greater love than
this can no man shew, than to lay down his life for his enemies.
Wliat did it cost the Father? It cost him that, that was most
precious to him of all things in the world ; it cost him his own
Son, not a cessation of the being of his Son, but the bitterness of
his Son : though a man doth not lose his child, yet it goes to the
heart of him to see his child tormented; much more when he
himself must be forced to be the tormentor. Abraham thought
God put him hard to it, when he must be the butcher, to slay his
own and only son, his dear Isaac. God, the Father, was put to
it as much, nay, much more: in Abraham the thing was but
offered, God would not have him do it actually ; yet it went to
his heart that he should be appointed to do it ; but it would have
cut his heart if he had done it, if he had cut the throat of Isaac.
If nothing could content him before he had a child, " What wilt
thou give me, seeing I go childless ?" What would Abraham
have said, if receiving a child, he should have been made a but-
cher to his OAvn child ? Yet the Father was put to this, to make
Christ a way to believers : " He was his only beloved Son, in
whom he was well pleased." Prov. viii. 30, " I was daily his
delight, (speaking of the Father and Christ under the notion of
wisdom) I was his delight, rejoicing always before him in the
habitable parts of his earth." Must it not come near unto him
CHRIST THE ONLY WAY. 38
to part with such a Son ? Nay, must it not go near to him, that
he himself must not only be a spectator of all that cruelty, but
the principal actor himself in the tragedy ? He doth not only
leave Christ to men, but when men could not fetch blood enough,
he takes the rod into his own hand, and will fetch it himself from
his beloved Son : " It pleased the Lord to bruise him," saith
the prophet, Isa. liii. 10. It did not only please the Lord, that
men should bruise him ; but " it pleased the Lord " himself " to
bruise him." It was a strange apprehension, that God should
look upon the anguish of the soul of Christ, and, instead of
breaking out into furiousness against the instruments of cruelty,
he himself should be satisfied with beholding it ; as much as to
say, it did his heart good to see it ; " He shall see of the travail
of his soul, and be satisfied ;" not only satisfied towards men,
but satisfied in himself: it gave him content to see the travail of
his Son, Certainly, beloved, the bowels of God must infinitely
be beyond the reach of the creature, towards a poor sinner, that
he could go so far in a contrary way to his own Son ; that there
might be the fruit of these bowels to his enemies. One would
think, God should rejoice to see the confusion of his enemies ;
and not rejoice to see the bitterness of the travail of the soul of
his Son, that his enemies might escape scot-free : but this it
cost the Father ; he must not only behold, or allow the suffering
of his Son, but he must be an actor of it himself : nay, he must
be pleased in it.
Certainly, the Father was exceedingly pleased with it, because
it doth commend the great end of the Father : the main end he
drove at was the salvation of sinners; and this, in his wisdom,
he saw the fittest way ; that it could not be done, but by this
way ; therefore it pleased him, in that his purpose should not be
frustrate of his end. You know, when a man hath a great mind
to a thing, if the way he goes in prospers not, he is displeased ;
if it prosper, he is contented in it, he delights to see his business
succeed ; so was it with the Father.
You may see what it cost Christ too, as well as the Father;
the Father must resign his part in his Son ; a great matter, not
only to part with him, in respect of death, but in a manner to
part with him in life too ; " My God, my God, (saith Christ)
why hast thou forsaken me ?" Here, you see, God parts with
turn in life j and Christ must part with his life, as well as the
D
34 CHRIST THE ONLY WAY.
Father must part with the Son ; nay, in some manner, Christ
must part with that which is better than his hfe, with tlie glorv
and majesty of his divinity. He did not part with the essence of
his divinity, but with the glory of it ; he parted, as Phil. ii. 6,
" Though he thought it no robbery to be equal with God, yet he
took upon him the form of a servant, and made himself of no
reputation ;" he did empty himself, as the meaning of the word
is ; he did put off and lay aside the majesty and glory he had,
that he might seem to be a mere Carpenter's Son. For a king
all his life-time to undergo the notion of a beggar, and not to
recover out of this estate all his whole life, but even to
lie down in this low condition in the grave, it would seem a great
loss unto him : man would reckon this a great matter, for a king
to debase himself so low ; it cost Christ more than this ; look
upon all the sufferings of Christ; look upon death itself; to-
gether with the reproach and shame of it. The death he died,
was called " A cursed death of the cross ;" although he was not
ashamed, that is, he despised the shame ; yet shame and reproach
he must bear. So, if we look upon God and Christ, as making
a way for men, it is not a free way, it is not a cheap way, but
lookino- upon ourselves, that have received the benefit of this
way, and this Christ, it is a free way indeed, free for man, with-
out any cost or charge ; free, as he is a way to all sorts of men,
none excepted, none prohibited ; whoever will, may set footing
in Christ. There is nothing can bar one person more than
another, from entering into Christ as a way. I know, beloved,
this seems harsh to the ears of some people, that there is no dif-
ference to be made among men, not only poor, as well as rich,
but that the wicked, as well as godly, are admitted : that is
strange. But let me tell you, Christ is a free way for a drunkard,
for a whore-master, for a harlot, an enemy to Chrifit; I say,
Christ is as free a way for such a person to enter into him*, as
for the most godly person in the world. But do not mistake me ;
I do not say, Christ is a free way to walk in him, and yet to
continue in such a condition ; for Christ will never leave a person
in such a filthiness, to whom he hath given to enter into himself:
* That is, who has been such a person ; not that continues so, as is presently ob-
served ; the sense is, that such are free to come to Christ, notwithstanding tlvoir former
life, and that without any conditions and qualifications fitting them for his acceptance;
and so stand upon as good a foot, with respect to Christ's free and hearty admittam 0
of them into him, the way, a» the most godly person in the world.
CHRIST THE ONLY WAY. 35
inAi'K well what I say ; but for entrance into him, Christ is as
free a way for the vilest sort of sinners, as for any person under
heaven. If Christ hath given a heart to a sinner, to set footino-
into himself; that is, to receive, to take him for his Christ ; if
Christ hath given him a heart to take him for his Christ in
reality, to take him truly and unfeignedly : Christ is a way for
such a person to the Father, though he be the vilest person under
heaven. And he is to him a way unto the Father, even while
he is ungodly, before he is amended; and he may take his part
in this Christ, as an ungodly person, as well as when he is
righteous. In this regard I say, Christ is a free way ; God looks
for nothing in the world from the sons of men, be they what kind
of men soever, he looks for nothing from them, to have a right
to Christ ; but he did freely give Christ unto them, without con-
sidering of any thing that they might bring along with them.
Nay, more, God doth not only not look for any thing, but he
will not take notice, nor regard any discouragements in men, to
keep them from the inheritance, to keep him off from giving
unto them a right unto Christ.
I would fain have this point cleared, and fully and exactly
proved, because, I doubt, many persons will not receive it ; but,
I tell you, we must not be afraid to set forth the praise of the
glory of God's grace, as fearing the squeamishness of some men :
first, therefore, consider, that Christ is delivered over unto men,
to be their way unto the Father, of mere gift, of free gift : what
is freer than a gift ? That Christ is delivered over to be a way
to the Father, by a mere and absolute gift, is most plainly ex-
pressed, Isaiah xlii. " I will give thee," saith the text, " to be
a covenant to the people." In matter of gift, what is there in
the richest man in the world, more than in the veriest beo^orar.
to partake of it, supposing the thing that comes to him as a
gift 1 A beggar can take a gift as well as the richest man ; nay,
a thief, that is condemned to the gallows, may receive a gift of
the king, as well as the greatest favourite in court; and, if any
thing be tendered as a mere gift unto a thief, his very being a
thief, and his being ready to be executed, is no prejudice in the
world to bar him from participating of that which shall be be-
stowed upon him as a gift: if Christ be a free gift unto men,
then it must follow, to whom the Father will reach out Christ,
there is nothing in that person to hinder the paiticipatingofhim,
d2
36 CHRIST THE ONLY WAV.
But some will say, though Christ be a gift, yet he is a gift
upon condition.
I answer, I cannot say but there is a flat contradiction, to say
he is a gift, and yet conditions required. What are the con-
ditions in a covenant, but a mere bargain and sale ? I will do
this, and thou shalt do that ; do this, and thou slialt have that :
what difference is there between this, and a bargain and sale ?
That God should require conditions of men, is but to receive
Christ as upon bargain and sale ; but Christ must be really and
actually a gift. When the king gives a pardon to a thief, what
are the conditions ? Peradventure the thief can do his king
service, if his life he spared ; but if his life be spared upon ser-
vice doing, it is not a gift, but a bargain, as much as to make a
contract, thus, do such a piece of service, then life is yours. I
say it derogates from the nature of a gift, that there should be a
condition required; and the gospel, that is, Christ given over to
men, cannot be said to be freely given over to them, if man
must buy him : mistake me not, I speak not all this while against
holiness and righteousness, that becomes a people to whom
Christ is a way ; for holy and righteous they shall be ; Christ
will make them holy, and put his spirit into them, to change
their hearts and to work upon their spirits ; but this is not the
condition required to partake of Christ; Christ himself gives
himself, and then he bestows these things when he is given. I
say, Christ is given to men first, before they do any thing in the
world; and all they do, they do by Christ present in them ; " I
live, yet not I, but Christ lives in me ; and the life that I now
live, I live by the faith of the Son of God." We do not so
much live, but by the life of Christ, which is life in us. All the
actions of life proceed from the soul, now present ; how then
comes the actions of the soul to be a condition to partake of the
soul, that gives life, and, by its presence, works such actions ?
Christ is the soul of every believer, that animates, and acts the
believer in all things whatsoever ; must not this life, Christ, be
put into a believer, before he can actuate life, which is a stream
springs from that life ? how then can this be a condition to re-
ceive, to have Christ, when Christ is first come, by whom these
things, that are called conditions, are afterwards wrought, he
himself being present to work them ? So, say I, God bestows
Christ upon men to be a way to bring them to the Father ; he is
CHniST THE ONLY WAY. 37
an absolute and free gift : there is no other motive that Christ
should be any one's saviour, than merely the good pleasure of
the Father, the bowels of God himself; " Not for thy sake, but
for my own sake ; not for thy sake, thou art a rebellious and
stubborn people, but for my own sake." Here is the freeness of
Christ, to a person coming to him, when he comes merely for
God's sake ; and God merely upon his good pleasure will do it,
because he will; " He hath mercy upon whom he will have
mercy, and whom he will, he hardeneth : it is not in him that
willeth, (saith Paul, Rom. ix.) nor in him that runneth, but in
God that sheweth mercy." So that Christ becomes a way unto
them, not out of their will, not out of their disposition, not out
of their holy walkings, but out of that mercy that proceeds out
of the mere will of God; his own good pleasure is the only
fountain and spring of it. Beloved, I beseech you, seriously
ponder and consider, that the gospel is therefore called the gos-
pel, because it is glad tidings unto men ; and so the angel inter-
preted it, " Behold, I bring glad tidings." Why glad tidings ?
In this respect glad, the poor sinner, he is a broken creature ;
nay more, he is a dead creature, " Ye, who were dead in tres-
passes and sins." That life now is reached out unto such a per-
son, that is a dead person ; herein it is plain, that there comes
forth that grace from the Lord, that a creature being dead, who
can act nothing towards life, yet he shall receive life. " The
time is coming that the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of
God, and they that hear it, shall live," John v. 25. How come
they by life ! is there any action of theirs towards life ? They are
dead ; it is the voice of the Son of God puts life into their dead
souls; and it is glad tidings, that though the creature can do
nothing*, yet Christ brings enough with him from the fountain
of the Father, to bestow upon them, to bring them to him. To
shew you a plain scripture, that Christ becomes a way to the
Father, merely as a free gift, without any thing in man required,
look into Isaiah Iv. 1, " Ho, every one that thirsteth," that is,
every one that hath a mind, " come to the waters, he that hath
no money ; come ye, buy, and eat ; yea, come and buy wine and
milk without money, and without price," saith the prophet ; and
then he falls upon an objurgation in the next verse; " Where-
• John XV. 5. Isaiah xxvi. IS,
38 CHRIST THE ONLY WAY.
fore spend ye money for that which is not bread, and labour for
that which satisfies not 1 Eat that which is good, and let your
soul delight itself in fatness : incline your ear, hearken, and your
soul sha 1 live ; I will make an everlasting covenant with you,
even the sure mercies of David ?" Here is the closure of all ;
dost thou thirst, that is, hast thou a mind really to Christ, that
Christ should say really to thy soul, I am thy salvation ? It may
be thou dost suspect, saying within thyself, Christ is not my por-
tion ; I am not fit for Christ ; I am a great sinner, I must be holy
first: this is bringing a price to Christ; but you must come
without. money, and without price: and what is this to come
without money, and without price ? It is nothing but to take the
offer * of Christ, these waters of life, to take them merely and
simply as a gift brought, and this is a sure mercy indeed : these
are the sure mercies of David, when a man receives the things
of Christ, only because Christ gives them ; not in regard to any
action of ours, as the ground of taking them ; I mean, in regard
of any action of ours, that we must bring along with us, that
must concur that we may partake of this gift. Hosea xiv. 4.
Christ speaks there thus to his people, " I will heal their back-
slidings, I will love them freely ;" that is, I will love them for
mine own sake. Rom. iii. 23, 24, the apostle speaks excellently
concerning this free grace of God bestowed in Christ upon them ;
" For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, being
justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in
Jesus Christ." Mark, brethren, first he takes off all creatures,
and all that a creature can do, " all have sinned and come short
of the glory of God ;" then he shews how we should partake of
justification, namely, freely through Christ. Rom. v. The apostle
speaks at large concerning the participation of Christ, to be
our Christ of mere free gift, where he makes a large comparison
of our participation of sin from Adam, and of our participation
of life from Christ ; and still in every passage, speaking of parti-
cipating of life from and by Christ, he comes in with these ex-
pressions of gift, and that it comes freely. Rom. v. 15, " But
not as by the transgression of one, so is the free gift ; for if
through the transgression of one, many be dead, much more the
grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man Jesus
Christ, hath abounded unto many." There is grace, and the
* Rev. iii 18. John vii. 37.
CHRIST THE ONLY WAY. 39
gift by grace ; so running in this expression in the 17th verse,
he saith, " For if by the offence of one, death reigned by one
much more they which receive abundance of grace, and of the
gift of righteousness, shall reign in life by one Jesus Christ."
Still, I say, observe it, that we partake of life in Christ, and by
Christ ; and it runs altogether upon this strain, that it comes by
mere gift.
Do but look in Ephes, ii. 4 — 10, and there you shall perceive
how clear and full the apostle is in this business, that Christ is
made a way to life absolutely and merely of free gift ; " But
God," saith he, " who is rich in mercy, for his great love where-
with he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hatn quickened
us together with Christ ; by grace ye are saved : and hath raised
us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in
Jesus Christ, that in the ages to come he might shew the exceed-
ing riches of his grace, in his kindness towards us through Christ
Jesus." Mark how he goes on ; " For by grace are ye saved,
through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God ;
not of works, lest any man should boast; for we are his work-
manship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works." Still he runs
upon mercy and grace, and works he excludes, that no creature
might boast.
If any thing were done on our part, to partake of Christ, we
might have whereof to boast. So likewise speaking of Abraham,
Rom. iv. 2, " For if Abraham were justified by works, he had
whereof to glory :" we should have to glory, if we should have
the least hand in the participating of Christ ; therefore God
would give Christ freely unto his creature ; because man should
have no stroke in participating of him, that so it might be to the
praise of the glory of his grace ; that we should not glory ; yea,
" That no flesh should glory in his presence." And therefore
the same apostle, Ephes. iii. 12, tells us, that from this grace
" we have boldness, and access with confidence through the faith
of him," In regard that Christ is given unto men to be a way
unto the Father, and merely of free gift, hence it is that we have
boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him. Should
we regard our own works or qualifications, there would be some
mixture of distrust ; we should have some fear that God would
find out such and such a thought ; therefore we could never come
with boldness and confidence, if we did not come in Christ as a
40 CHRIST THE ONLY WAV
free gift bestowed upon us : for if tliere were one condition*, and
the least failing in that condition, God might take advantage
upon that default, and so possibly we might miscarry ; and we
being jealous and privy to it, that there are faults in all we do,
we should be " subject all our lives to bondage," (saith the
apostle,) and should fear that God will take advantage of all
that which is undone on our part ; and so not fulfil what he hath
promised on his part. But seeing we have Christ bestowed as a
free gift of the Father, " we come with boldness and access to
the throne of grace." To establish, or a little more to clear this,
look (Heb. x. 18, 19, 20,) " Now where remission of sin is,
there is no more offering for sin ; having therefore boldness to
enter into the holiest, by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living
way that he hath consecrated for us through the veil, that is to say,
his flesh." How come we to have boldness 1 Through the new
and living way made by the blood of Christ ; not a new and living
way by his blood and our actions, but by his blood; that is, only
by his blood, merely by his actions ; and so passed over freely to
us ; this is that which makes us come with so much boldness.
Look into the closure of all the scriptures, you shall find there
can be nothing imagined more free ; nay, so free, as the partici-
pating of Christ to be the way to the Father ; nothing so free as
this, (Rev. xxii. 17,) " Both the Spirit and the bride say, come;
let him that heareth, say, come ; and let him that is athirst, come ;
and whosoever will, (mark the expression) let him take of the
water of life freely." Hast thou but a mind to Christ ? come
and take the water of life freely ; it is thine ; it is given to thee ;
there is nothing looked for from thee to take thy portion in this
Christ ; thine he is as well as any person's under Heaven : there-
fore, you shall find our Saviour exceedingly complain of this, as
a great fault, " You will not come to me, that you might have
life ;" " He that comes to me, I will in no wise cast him off;"
upon no terms. Thou may est object a thousand things, that if
thou shouldst come, and conclude Christ is thy Christ, he will
reject thee, and that it will be but presumption ; but, in so doing,
thou rejectest thyself, and forsakest thy own mercy ; but Christ
saith. Whosoever he be, what person soever, *' I will in no
wise cast him off, if he come unto me.'*
• Rom. xi. 6, and iv. 1<J.
CHRIST THE ONLY WAY. 41
Secondly, as Christ is a free way, made over to men by free
gift, without any thing in man to partake of this Christ, so he is
a safe way to those that do take him : I say, Christ is a safe way,
a secure way ; here is no danger of miscarriage in Christ, Let
men take any other way in the world to heaven, but Christ, and
there are thousands of dangers, and thousands of ways ♦o mis-
carry ; but there is no way that a soul can possibly miscarry, that
takes Christ for his way. " Satan hath desired to winnow thee,"
saith Christ, Luke xxii. 31, speaking to Peter, " but I prayed
for thee, that thy faith fail not :" nay, he undertakes so, for them
that come to him, " that the gates of hell shall not prevail
against them." Believers that receive Christ, have not only the
guard of angels to secure them, but they have the guard of the
Spirit of Christ, that shall lead them ; not only lead them into
truth, but lead them into all truth. The Spirit will not take a
believer and lead him by the hand, and set him into the way, (as
a friend doth, to lead one a mile out of town, and then leave him
alone to go the rest of the way,) no, but the Spirit leads him
into truth, and into all truth ; he will be a companion of the soul,
to secure it ; a conduct to the very harbour and haven itself. It
is a privilege of this nation, that merchants may have a convoy,
a navy royal, it may be to go out with them, but it will hardly
come in with them; therefore there is not absolute security in
this convoy ; but he that takes Christ, he hath the Spirit to go in
and out before him ; to go forth, to come back, to be all the way
with him ; nay, he hath given himself to be his protector, " I
will never fail thee, nor forsake thee," Heb. xiii. 4. In all other
ways there may be danger, in respect of rubs, in respect of diffi-
culties or troubles that may arise in them : but, do but look in
Isa. XXXV. you shall see what safety there is in this way of Christ,
unto those that make choice of him, in respect of any danger
that may lie in the way. Isa. xxxv. 8, the prophet tells us, " That
a highway there shall be, and that way shall be called the way of
holiness, and the unclean shall not pass over." And verse 9,
(mark the security) " No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous
beast shall be found there ; but the redeemed of the Lord
shall walk there :" no lion, no ravenous beast, nothing to
make them miscarry. If a man haply travel through a wilder-
ness, there may be bears and lions ; as in New England, and iu
other foreign parts, they lie open to many dangers : so let a man
42 CHRIST THE ONLY WAY.
choose righteousness ; I mean his own righteousness, as his way
to heaven : Oh ! what a world of danger lies here ! Satan hath
continual advantage against him from that righteousness ; his
own corrupt heart is ready to swallow him up ; but there is no
lion in the way, Christ.
Thirdly, As he is a safe way, so he is a lightsome way;
Christ, I say, is a lightsome way to the Father. Solomon tells
us, " It is a joyful thing for a man to behold the light of the
sun." It is a great heaviness and bitterness to the spirit of a
traveller, to be benighted ; to be overtaken with darkness is very
uncomfortable ; therefore, when we come to the summer-seasons,
they are the best seasons for travellers, because lightsome and
long. All ways to the Father, but Christ, are mere darkness ;
nothing but darkness ; Christ is the light of the world ; " I am
come a light into the world : He is that light, that lighteth every
one that cometh into the world."
Fourthly, Christ (and this is an excellent consideration) is a
near way ; all that take him to come to the Father by him, have
a short way to the Father, in comparison of any other way what-
soever : Christ is the string, other ways are the bow ; all other
ways are compasses about ; nay, they are labyrinths, in which
men lose themselves, after they are wearied with toil ; Christ is
a near way to the Father ; " He is nigh that justifieth me ; who
shall condemn me ?" Isa. 1. 8. But more especially observe,
how near a way Christ is to the Father ; you have it excellently
described in Rom. x. 6. " The righteousness which is of faith,
(that is, of Christ) speaks on this wise. Say not in thine heart,
who shall ascend into heaven 1 That is, to bring Christ down
from above ; or who shall descend into the deep ? That is, to
bring up Christ again from the dead: but what saith it? The
word is nigh thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart ; this is the
word of faith which we preach." Mark, when a man chooses
Christ for his way to the Father, there needs no clambering up
to heaven to fetch down Christ, nor digging to the bottom of the
deep to fetch him up ; Christ is such a way to the Father, that
instead of bringing the man to the Father, he brings the Father
down to him ; " The word is nigh unto thee, even in thy heart."
Therefore, the apostle tells us, " You who were sometimes afar
olf, are made nigh by the blood of Christ," Eph. ii. 13. Just as
if there were such a course taken, that the Indies (whence are all
CHRIST THE ONLY WAT. 43
treasures) should be brought and set at the suburbs of London,
just so doth Christ bring the Father unto men, and becomes
such a way, as that there is but one step, from the lowest con-
dition of sinfulness, to the highest of being a son of God. There
is but one step between the Father, and them that choose Christ
to be the way. And therefore the first thing Christ preached,
was this, " Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand :" what
is that 1 It is present. You have heard much, I suppose, of your
northern passage to the Indies ; a great deal of time hath been
spent to find such a cut, that the voyage may be done in half the
time. O look upon Christ, he is such a way to the Father, that
the voyage is done in a step from a state of ungodliness, to the
state of justification, to the state of salvation settled upon the
soul. Christ is such a way, that there is but one step from one
term to another. Look now but upon the old way of the law,
there must be a continuance " in all things written in the book
of the law to do them :" there must be a going on to perfection
of righteousness, before men can come to justification unto life
and salvation. This is a long way.
Now, how near hath Christ made the way unto the Father ?
thus near, " He that believeth, shall be saved." Let me be
bold to tell you, You are in as full an estate of justification be-
fore God ; you are in as true a state of salvation, you that are
believers, as they that are now already in heaven * : " Believe in
the Lord Jesus, and thou shalt be saved;" such a near way is
Christ.
Yet still people will be cavilling, ^Tiere are good works all
this while 1 What, justified by faith alone ! Saved by Christ
alone ! Let me tell you, if Christ be the way, works are not the
way, except they be Christ f. But must not we-work? Yea, but
for other purposes ; the Lord hath propounded other ends for
which we are to work ; " Ye are bought with a price, (that is
done,) therefore glorify God in your bodies and spirits : Being
delivered, (our safety it seems is past,) being delivered out of the
hands of our enemies, we serve in holiness and righteousness,
* That is, their state of salvation is real, and they are in as safe a state, and hare
as good a right and claim as the saints in heaven, though not in equal possession ;
they are heirs of it, kept unto it, and shall certainly enjoy it ; and are as completely
justified as they ; and, therefore, their state of justification is as full.
f They are ways which God has ordained his people should walk in, in order to
glorify and serve him, as follows, but not the way of salvation.
44
CHRIST THE ONLY WAY.
without fear before liim, ail the days of our life." Do we serve
towards deliverance ? Then deliverance is not before serving ;
but saith Zachariah, '• Being delivered, we serve," Luke i. 74.
First, we are delivered from wrath, before we step a step into
any duties whatsoever ; we do not the duty to be delivered, but
we do the duty because we are delivered.
And, seeing all things are settled by Christ for us, of free
gift, all we do is for Christ himself; I say, that we do, we do for
Christ, not for ourselves*. If we do it for ourselves, we do but
labour in vain. Suppose we could compass never so much
good by doing, it is but labour in vain, it was compassed before
hand for us. If a man will run a hundred miles for money, if
that money be proffered to him before he step out of his house,
at his door, his journey is in vain ; seeing he might have had it
before he stepped out of his door ; and that which was the end
of his journey, might have been attained without troubling him •
self at all. Christ comes and brings justification, loving-kind-
ness, and salvation, he lays them down, presents them, delivers
them to the heart ; when we are ungodly, he enters into cove-
nant, that we should become his. What need than all this travel
for life and salvation, seeing it is here already ?
Ohj. But, seeing we get nothing by it, this is a discourage-
ment for men to work, may some say.
Ans. It is true, it is a discouragement to all selfish men to
M'ork : and whether a man work or work not at all, it is all one,
if it be but for himself; if a man work never so much, if he be
wholly selfish for himself, God rejects it ; but when a man will
work for Christ, that hath a touch of the loving-kindness of
Christ, and therefore stands ready to speak forth the praise of
the glory of his grace that hath so freely saved him ; for such a
man to work, is as welcome to him for Christ's sake, as if he
were to work for his own salvation. You have many ingenuous
spirits in the world, who will be more free to serve a friend that
hath already raised them, than others will be to serve a master,
that they may be raised: there is a service of thankfulness, which
usually is more cordial, more sedulous, than all mercenary ser-
vices that are forced. This is the true service of a believer in
serving Christ ; his eye is to the glory of Christ, in regard of
• Not to obtain righteousness, life, and salvation to ourselves, but for the honour
and glory of Christ.
CHRIST THE ONLY WAY. 45
what Christ hath done already for him ; and not in expectation
of any thing Christ hath to do, which he hath not done. Ha
looks upon all as perfectly done for him in the hand of Christi
and ready to be delivered out into his hand, as several occasions
require ; and being thus completed by Christ, not to be mended
by the creature, having nothing now to do for himself, all he
doth, he doth for Christ. Thus you see Christ is a near way
unto the Father ; there cannot be possibly a nearer way ; so that
now there is a great deal of labour and bitterness saved : thus
you may be encouraged to receive Christ for your way. Tnere
are some remarkable considerations in Christ, wherein he is our
way, wherein we may receive him, wherein is abundance of
comfort ; but the time hath out-stripped me.
SERMON IV.
CHRIST THE ONLY WAY.
JOHN xiv. 6.
I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE ; NO MAN COMETH
TO THE FATHER, BUT BY ME.
The next thing considerable is, what kind of way Christ is to
the Father. First, as you have heard already, he is a free way ;
there is not a bar set up against any person in the world, the
way is open : it is a foul delusion of Satan in the heart of any
man whatsoever, to say, Christ doth not belong to me ; I would
fain have Christ, but I may not close with him ; let this con-
sideration be never so plausible, it is a false consideration ; for
there is no bar in the world, if there be but a heart to step into
him. If a man have a mind to step into the king's highway,
which is the subject's privilege, no man can say to him, you
trespass in so doing : it is made to be common for all : so is
46 CHRIST^HE ONLY WAY,
Christ a common way to all sorts* of persons whatsoever, to
whom there is a heart given to step into him.
Some are offended that I should say, Christ is a way even to
the drunkard, and to the whoremonger ; and the vilest sort of
persons have as good a right to Christ for their way to the Father,
and to apply Christ to themselves, as any. But, be not injurious
to the grace of God ; be not injurious to yourselves and others .
what saith Christ himself, speaking to those justiciaries, the
Pharisees, both devout and blameless men in their lives ? even
" that publicans and harlots enter into the kingdom of heaven,
Avhile they are shut out." If we, the ministers of Jesus Christ,
should preach that a whore hath right to lay hold upon the king-
dom of God in Christ, to lay hold upon Christ for salvation ; this
would be counted a licentious doctrine. Take heed you cast not
dirt into the face of Christ ; " Publicans (saith he,) and harlots
enter into the kingdom of heaven ;" 1 say it, therefore, and say
it boldly, the wickedest wretch that stands here at this present
time in the presence of God, if the Lord hath but given a heart
to that wicked wretch, now at this instant, willingly to close with
the Lord Jesus Christ, to take the Lord Jesus Christ for his
Christ, though he be now in the vilest condition that ever he was
in his life ; I say, if he have a real willingnessf at this instant,
to close with the Lord Jesus Christ, it gives him an absolute,
complete, and perfect interest in Christ ; he is as much his
Christ, as the Christ of a saint saved in glory. We are ready to
run another strange way : if a man have a little holiness and
righteousness, he thinks now that in regard of that holiness and
righteousness, he may without presumption close with Christ; he
doth in this overthrow the way of the gospel; " He came to save
that which was lost," saith the text : but a person it seems must
be /oM«c? before he be saved. " He came not to call the righteous,
but sinners ;" but a man must be righteous before he have to do
with the calling of Christ : see now, whether this be with, or
against the gospel. Free grace therefore, even to sinners, is
no licentious doctrine, nor doth it a jot maintain the con-
tinuance in sin. I say, therefore, Christ belongs to a man that
closeth with him, though he be in his sinfulness : Christ indeed
washes, cleanses, and adorns a person, when he is clothed withal;
• 1 Cor. vi. 11. Acts xvi. 14. t Luke xxiii. 42.
CHRIST THE ONLV WAY. 47
but there is none clean, till Christ himself enters, who makes
clean where he enters,
I thought good to speak briefly thus much by way of addition
to what I have delivered before : did I know the objections of
persons against what I delivered, I should gladly endeavour to
give satisfaction to them : but observe, you shall find the whole
strain of the gospel run continually thus : " Christ came to save
the lost:" "he died for the ungodly:" "while we were sinners,
Christ died for us :" " he received gifts for the rebellious, that
the Lord might dwell among them :" and such like are the terms
of the gospel, upon which Christ is tendered to our souls, NoW;
then, 1 say, to every afflicted soul, art thou rebellious, an enemy,
ungodly, an harlot, lost? Nay, art thou worse than enmity itself?
if thou art not worse, Christ came for thee, while thus, though no
better : he comes to tender himself unto thee to take him, whilst
thou art thus, before thou art any better. Now if this be true,
when Christ is reached out unto thy spirit, why art thou so doubt-
ful ? why wilt thou answer, no, I dare not close with him, he be-
longs not to me ? But, suppose Christ should sp^ak from heaven
as audibly to thy spirit, as I do to thy ear, and say, Be of good
cheer, as vile a sinner as thou art, I am thy Christ : wouldst thou
close with him then ? should that be gospel indeed ? I tell you,
Christ cannot, Christ will not speak more from heaven than he
doth in his gospel ; if you find he speaks in his gospel, it is as
much as if he spake it to your spirits from heaven. It was a
delusion of the rich man in the parable, he would have Lazarus
go and tell his brethren from him in what torments he was : what
saith Abraham ? " If they will not hear Moses and the pro-
phets, neither will they hear if one arise from the dead," Luke
xvi, 31, I say unto you, if you will not hear the voice of the
gospel, neither would you hear the voice of Christ speaking to
you, for you would suspect whether it were Christ or no.
Well, but you will say, this is a way to lead men to a licen-
tious course of life.
I say the contrary : it is the only way to lead men into a more
enlarged way of holiness, than any way in the world, and this I
will declare by and by unto you.
We have further considered, that Christ is a safe way ; that
Christ is a lightsome way ; that Christ is a near way ; we cannot
well upon these: we will go on to make good what I promised
48 CHRIST THE ONLY WAY.
to you ; the consideration of Christ as a free way, to all coniPrs,
is the only way to build men up in a more enlarged course of
holiness and righteousness, than all the devices in the world can
raise the«n to. Let me tell you, the rarest self-denial, the fre-
quentest prayer in the world, the greatest study, the most beating
down of the body by exactest fastings, reckon what other graecs
you can, they come all short to build up a man in obedience to
the will of Christ ; they all come short of this one thing, to la^r
hold upon him as a man is a sinner ; and to receive it is an un-
doubted truth, that Christ is as much my Christ now, as he is the
Christ of a saint in heaven. And this will further appear, if we
enquire how Christ is such a way, as there is no way, wherein
there is a quicker and better riddance of the businesses and
employments believers shall have in the world, than in Christ. I
will note one thing by the way, before I go on, to make clear
this thing, and that is this ; it is a received conceit among many
persons, that our obedience is the way to heaven ; and though it
be not, say they, catisa regnandi, yet it is via ad regnum : though
it be not the cause of our reign, yet it is the way to our
kingdom*.
Pardon me, if I give you a hint or two of another thing before
I go on : let me deliver you this position ; there is no believer
under heaven, doth come to heaven before he hath served his
generation : there is no man a believer, and hath received Christ,
but after he hath received Christ, he is created in him unto good
works, that he should walk in them. He that sprinkleth them
with clean water, that they become clean from all their filthiness,
puts also a new spirit in them, and doth cause them to walk in
his statutes and testimonies ; " He takes away their stony hearts,
and gives them hearts of flesh ; he writes his law in their inward
parts, and puts his fear into their hearts, that they do not depart
from him." So that I say in conclusion, sanctification of life is
* This is a distinction of Bernard's, which some divines are very fond of; though, I
think, he only says, it is via regni, the way of the kingdom ; so it may be the way or
course of those that helong to the kingdom, and yet not he the way to it : obedience
and good works are to be performed by all those that are in the way ; they lie in the
way, and are taken up and done by those that are in it ; but they themselves are not
the way, but Christ : and as the learned Hoornbeeck obsen-es, Sum Controvers. 1. 10.
p. 716. The Doctor allows, in some following passages, that sanctification of life is the
business a believer has to do in his way Christ ; and that good works are concomitant
unto heaven to those that shall come thither ; and he also enumerates the several end*
of doing good works, though not for salvation ; which shews, that he was far from beiag
er enemy to good works, or for giving into licentious practices.
CHRIST THE ONLY WAY. 49
inseparable companion, with the justification of a person by
the free grace of Christ. But withal, I must tell you, that aii
this sanctification of life, is not a jot the way of that justified
person unto heaven ; it is the business a man hath to do in his
way, Christ; but it is not the way itself to heaven*: if there be
no more to clear it but the very text, it is enough : Christ here
saith, " I am the way, no man cometh to the Father but by me :'*
now I ask this question, are our works of sanctification Christ
himself, or are they not ? if they be Christ himself, then there
are thousands of Christs in the world : if they be not Christ,
then there is no coming to the Father by them; because the
coming to the father is by him alone, and by him as he is the
sole way.
Now what derogation is there in this unto works, to say, they
are not the way to heaven ; they are concomitant unto heaven,
unto persons that shall come thither : the truth is, since redemp-
tion is managed by Christ, the Lord hath pointed out other
ends and purposes for our obedience, than salvation ; salvation
is not the end of any good work we do : the ends of our good
works are, the manifestation of our obedience and subjection;
the setting forth of the praise of the glory of the grace of God :
and as it is the setting forth the praise of God's grace, so actual
glorifying him in the world ; the doing good to others, to be
profitable to men ; the meeting of the Lord Jesus Christ in
them, where he will be found according to the promise : these
are the special ends that obedience is ordained for ; salvationf
being settled firm before. All that I will endeavour to build up,
is this, to keep the true prerogative of Christ to himself alone,
and that no righteousness of man intrench vipon those privileges
that are only his. Take away any thing of Christ, and give it
to any creature, and you deny Christ in part ; you destroy the
gospel, the life of which stands in the soleness and oneliness of
Christ, from the beginning to the end of our perfection.
Now, to come unto that which I promised ; Christ, I say, is
such a way unto men, that whosoever cbooseth him for their
way, by him they come to a quick riddance and dispatch of all
the business of holiness and sanctification, which they are to do,
while they are in Christ the way : as it is with merchants that
• Titus iii. 14. Matt. v. 16. + 2 Sam. xxiii. 5. John xix. SO.
60 CHRIST THE ONLY WAf.
go to sea, it may be the end of tlieir voyage is the Indies ; bvit
they have business in France, Holland, Spain, or Turkey, and
they put in there ; their business is not the way to the end, but
it is something they have in the way to do, before they come to
their journey's end. All our obedience and righteousness are but
so many several businesses here, which we are to dispatch, while
we are in our way to Christ, toward heaven ; and while Christ is
our way, he provides so for us that our business goes on. Now
this Christ that we have chosen to be our way, is he alone that
oils the wheels of our spirits, and puts them into a nimble frame.
Therefore, (in 1 Pet. ii. 3,) " To whom coming (saith the
apostle) as unto a Living Stone, (speaking of Christ) ye
as lively stones are built up:" mark it, I pray you; Christ
being a " Living Stone," makes every one that comes to him
" living :'* he doth not only give life to a person to be active in
doing, but he gives liveliness to him to be nimble in activeness*;
as we say, such a man is a lively man, when he is quick in his
business. The Lord Jesus is as a strong arm that draws a bow ; the
greater the strength of the arm is, the swifter is the flight of the
arrow, and the further the arrow reaches ; a weak arm makes the
arrow fly slowly, and fall quickly ; the Lord Christ being the
strength of every soul, he draws the bow with a mighty arm.
Do but conceive the more qualmish or sick any man is in his
stomach, the more unapt such a person is to labour, he is soon
tired and spent : now from whence proceeds the qualmishness of
the stomach ? It proceeds from want of spirits, or from weak-
ness of spirits : weakness of life is the occasion of faintness in
the stomach. But suppose there be a strong life, strong spirits
in men, they are mighty to labour. Such is Christ our way,
saith the apostle, " When Christ, who is our life, shall appear,
we shall appear with him in glory : I live, yet not I, but Christ
lives in me." Beloved, Christ is life itself; " In him was life,
and that life was the light of the world." There is no life, like
the life of Christ ; it is a fountain of life ; all life that is besides,
is but the stream of that fountain. If, therefore, Christ be our
life within us, according to the strength of that life, such is the
strength of the spirit. A great rooted tree you know, sends up
abundance of sap into the branches ; whereas a small rooted tree
• P«alm cxix. 32,
CHRIST THE ONLY WAY. 51
feeds the branches leanly ; the larger the root is, the larger the
sap, and bigger thie growth, and the fuller is the fruitfulness oi
the tree. Now Christ is a large root of the soul, where he is
once received ; and as he is such a root, so there are answerable
spirits coming from him. Mark what the apostle saith, though
he confesseth of himself, he could do nothing of himself; yet,
saith he, " I am able to do all things by Christ that strengthens
me;" yea, so able to do all things, that he confesses to the praise
of Christ's power, " When I am weak, then I am strong;" as if
he had said the stronger my strength is in myself, the weaker I
am to any thing : but the less strength there is in me, the more
strong am I in Christ: therefore he sends us to Christ for
strength; " Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his
might." I beseech you, consider, if you would be active persons
indeed, you must have it from him in whom all power and
activeness consist. You that are poor maid-servants, or widows,
you do but little in the world, your stock doth not reach far ; but
if you were married to a rich merchant, or some such great man,
you could do much more ; because by the marriage of such a man,
you are interested into a large stock, and his stock is yours : so
closing* once with the Lord Christ, the whole stock of Christ is
yours ; in him are hid all the treasures of wisdom, and riches, and
graces besides; " For it pleased the Father, that in him all
fulness should dwell," Col. i. 19. Now, when we have a great
stock to trade upon, there may be a great deal of doing; and,
for lack of stock, there cannot be so much dealings ; so, as
there is a fulness of stock in Christ, there may be a fulness of
activeness in you ; especially, when Christ doth give you, with
that stock of life and strength, a faculty of ability to actf that
stock ; when he gives not only strength, but wisdom to manage
such strength unto advantage.
Besides, Christ is such a way, that the business you have to
do in the way, shall be done by him exactly, completely, and
neatly. There is never a school-master in the world can teach
the perfect trade of walking uprightly, but Christ alone ; there-
fore in the new covenant, you shall find this one of the main
clauses, " They shall be all taught of God:" that is, that Christ
who is God and man, the mediator of the new covenant.
•Hosea ii. 19, 22. John i. 16. t 1 Chron. xxix. 14. Matt, xxv 20. Phil. ii. 13,
e2
62 CHRIST THE OMLY WAT.
Men are but bunglers, that are taught by any other but God,
We that are the ministers of the gospel, leave you dunces in
Christianity, in matters of practice, until the Lord Jesus Christ
come into that ministry, and, by his Spirit, teach your spirits :
and then when he comes, you shall be exact in skilfulness ; " I
am wiser than my teachers," saith David : so when Christ comes
to teach you, you shall be wise as your school-master. Now if
a school-master cannot make true Latin, the scholar will hardly
do it ; if the scrivener cannot write well, the scholar will make
but crow's-claws, as we used to say : learn this truth, if you will
be exact in the christian scholarship, in the mysteries of Christ ;
go to school to Christ ; that is, take Christ for your Christ ; wait
upon him to instruct you, to direct you, to make you skilful ;
then shall you be infinitely more exact, than by running to any
other teacher in the world. Christ, then you see, is such a way,
by which we attain to a quicker riddance of all the business we
have to do in this way, than any other course besides.
Consider in the next place, as Christ is away of quick riddance,
so he is a sure way, a firm way, a hard way ; there is no fear of
sinking while we keep this causeway, this road, as I may call it.
Gluts of rain make some clayey, boggy ways, sinking ; both cart
and man, and all, may stick fast and sink in them : as for Christ,
he is a way so rocky, that all the rain that falls upon this way,
runs away ; it makes it never a jot the more sinking. A man
may be as firm, as secure in the greatest storm, as he shall be in
the fairest weather. I mean thus, Christ will not deceive ; every
thing in the world else will deceive a man, but Christ will never
ieceive him : you have observed, sometimes, I know, some places
that have been as green and fair to the eye, as the best way that
ever men set foot into ; but set your foot into them, and you sink
up to the neck, they are boggy quagmires. I must tell you, while
men make their own righteousness and obedience their way to the
Father, they seem to be in a fair and green way, which promiseth
firmness ; but he that dares to trust himself in the way of his own
righteousness, to the Father, shall find himself so sinking, that
if Christ come not and pluck him out> he shall sink over head
and ears. Ye that go to the Father, and think to set yourselves
in his presence, and stand in his delight, in the way of your own
■ighteousness, shame and confusion of face will cover you before
vou are aware. Paul durst not be found in it, but looked upon
CHRIST THE ONLY WAY. 48
It as (lung; dung you know is sinking ; the righteousness of
Paul, he saw it, he knew it, it did not only stink in the nostrils
of God as dung, but it was a sinking way ; he himself could
never keep firm footing to go to the Father by it ; therefore, he
saith, Phil. iii. 8, 9, " I account all but dung, that I may win
Christ, and be found in him ; not having mine own righteousness,
that is according to the law, but the righteousness that is by faith
in Christ." Let a man venture himself upon Christ, as he is a
way to the Father, and he shall not sink. " Fear not," saith
Christ, in Isaiah xli. 10, " I am with thee, be not dismayed, I
am thy God ; I will help thee, I will strengthen thee, I will up-
hold thee, with the right-hand of my righteousness :" " I will
uphold thee ;" all the righteousness of man is not able to uphold
him : nay, there is that in man's righteousness that will sink him :
where there is sinfulness in men's actions, in their righteousness ;
that sinfulness is enough to trip up their heels, to lay them in
the dirt, to lay them flat upon their backs*, that they cannot rise
again. Let men come before God with this righteousness, if
God find fault with that in which they present themselves, they
are gone for ever : " Let a man keep the whole law, and at last
fail in one point, he is guilty of all." See then how firmly he
stands, that is built upon a rock. He that builds upon Christ,
builds upon a rock ; nothing can shakef him : be transgresses,
it is true, but Christ carries away his transgression, that before
it comes to the eye of the Father, it is gone into the wilderness ;
*' He casts it behind his back, he throws it into the bottom of the
sea, it is blotted out," as the text speaks. So that still, I say,
as water falling upon a rocky way, glides away as fast as it falls,
that the way is as hard as before the rain fell, and a man may
stand as firm there as before : so all our sinfulness, while we are
in the way Christ, as thick as it falls, Christ hath so made him-
self such a way, that it passeth off from us to him, and from him
also. We have garments made now a-days, that if rain falls it
will glide off a man, and so not soak into him. Christ is our
garment ; all the wet that falls upon us, lights on him ; it falls
from us to Christ himself ; that is, all our transgressions, when
once we are in Christ, pass from us f to him. Now he hath a
garment as well for himself, as for us ; that though our sins fal
• Horn. XI. 10. f Matt. vii. 25. J Zech. iii. 3. Isaiah vi. 7.
54 CHRIST THE ONLY WAT.
from US to mm, yet they remain not upon him. The Lord, in-
deed, laid the iniquities of all upon Christ ; but he passed away
all this iniquity from himself, by making full satisfaction to the
Father. If Christ should have our sinfulness remaining upon
him, when it glides from us, he himself would be a sinking way
to us. If Christ were sinful in the eyes of God, we could never
be clean in his eyes ; it is through his cleanness we become clean.
Now Christ is such a way to believers that receive him, that he
took away all their sins from them, bore them all, and left them
in his own grave, and raised himself without them. So here is
no sin charged upon believers, nor upon Christ ; it was laid upon
Christ, it is true, but he hath cast it off, and sweat* it out ; it is
evaporated and gone from him too.
Thus you see Christ is a firm way, a secure way, to a person ;
he shall not stir, he shall not be moved, as long as he keeps
Christ to be his way. Once again. As Christ is a firm way to
believers, so he is a most pleasant way ; I say, a most delightful,
a most refreshing and recreating way ; Christ is a way, as if it
were all strewed with flowers ; there is nothing but mirth and
sweetness in him. In Prov. iii. 17, there you shall find Christ
spoken of, under the notion of wisdom, of whom it is affirmed,
" That her ways are ways of pleasantness :" not only pleasant
ways, but ways of pleasantness ; as if there were nothing but
pleasures ; as if the ways were substantial pleasures, or full of
all manner of delight. Do but observe a notable expression in
Isaiah xxxv. 1, 2, he speaks as if he had been an apostle in the
time, or after the time of Christ : you may see, by him, what a
pleasant way Christ is to all those that choose him for their way :
in the 1st verse, you have him expressing himself thus, " The
wilderness and the solitary places shall be glad, and the desert
shall rejoice and blossom as the rose." He means thus. That
whereas men lived as in the wilderness, and in a desert place ;
that is, in a sad and solitary condition ; they shall be translated
into such a way, into such a pleasant way, that there shall be
gladness and rejoicing ; there shall be the blossom of roses in
this way. And to illustrate the pleasantness of the way into
which Christ translates his, by translating them into himself, he
goes on in the 2d verse, " It shall blossom abundantly, and
• Luke xxii. 24.
CHRIST THE ONLY WAV. 5o
rejoice even with joy and singing ; the glory of Lebanon shal'i be
given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon ; they shall
see the glory of the Lord, and the excellency of our God;'*
nothing but pleasure : it is compared to Lebanon, the sweetest
place in the world; to Carmel and Sharon, places of great
delight : such shall be the way chalked out, and held forth unto
believers. Look into the last verse of the chapter, and see what
a way of pleasure Christ is unto all those that receive him ;
" And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Sion
with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads ; they shall
obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall fly away,"
Behold the mirth that is in the way, Christ ! there is nothing but
joy and gladness.
But some will say, Believers find it otherwise : there is not
such joy and gladness, but they are often oppressed with sadness
and heaviness of spirit.
I answer. There is not one fit of sadness in any believer what-
soever, but he is out of the way Christ* ; I mean, in fits of sad-
ness in respect of his jealousy of his present and future estate ;
he is out of the way of Christ, he enjoys not him as he ought,
while he is in such fits. Therefore, the apostle puts believers
upon rejoicing always ; " Rejoice in the Lord always, and again,
I say, rejoice," Phil. iv. 4. There is matter of nothing but joy
in him : while there is mourning in believers, there are meltings
in those mournings ; and more joy in the mourning of a believer,
than in all the mirth of a wicked man. I appeal to you, that
have had melted hearts, whether you have not found a secret
content in your meltings, that you rather fear the change of that
mourning, than that you are troubled with it ?
That, which is a most common proverb in the world, is most
certainly true in this present case, " Some men for joy do weep,
others for sorrow sing." I say, believers weep for joy, and
never mourn more kindly, than when they see the joy of the
Holy Ghost, in the freeness and fulness of the Lord Christ,
poured out upon them : there is never any more kindly mourning
for sin, than that mourning, when the soul is satisfied of forgive-
• That U, as to the enjoyment of him, as it is afterwards explained; or with re-
spect to the exercise of faith, or comfortable walking in the way, Christ, as becomes a
believer ; otherwise he that is once in Christ is always so ; he can never be out of
him as to interest in him, and salvation by him.
5S CHRIST THE ONLY WAY.
ness of sins: I say, the soul is first satisfied with forgiveness d!
sins, before there is that real kindly mourning in those that are
believers. You have heard of some persons, I know, that have
been condemned to be executed, who at the scaffold have been so
obdurate, and stiff-necked, that not a cry, not a tear came from
them ; yet, just when their necks went to the block, upon the
coming of the pardon, when they were discharged, they that
could not weep a tear, nor be affected with their estate, no sooner
do they see a pardon, and themselves acquitted, but they melt all
into tears : so it is with believers, the more they see Christ in the
pardon of sin, and the love of God in Christ to receive and
embrace them, the more they melt. Therefore, Solomon hath a
notable expression'; " If thine enemy hunger, (saith he) give
him bread ; and, if he thirst, give him drink ; so shalt thou heap
coals of fire upon his head," Pro v. xxv. 21, 22. As much as if
he should have said, Kindness is the best way in the world to
melt the most obdurate wretch. Thus God deals with men
through Christ ; he gives them bread Avhen they ai-e hungry, and
drink when they are thirsty ; and thus he heaps coals of fire upon
their heads ; that is, he melts them.
So, you see, what an admirable way Christ is, all full of plea-
sure ; there is the Spirit of Christ to make music unto a soul.
" Speak comfortably unto my people," saith God: and this is the
office of the Spirit, and the Spirit doth nothing else but speak
comfortable things. Christ is a way, as the cellars of wine are
unto drunkards, that are never better than when they are at the
cup ; and, therefore, no place like the cellar, where there is ful-
ness of wine always to be tipling and drinking : I say, Christ is
such a Vv'ay ; and let it not be offensive to say so, for the church
speaks in the same language. Cant, ii, 4, 5, " He brought me
(saith she) into his wine-cellar; stay me with flaggons, comfort
me with apples, for I am sick of love." Christ hath such variety
of delicates served in continually, and such sweetness in this
variety, that the soul is no longer satisfied than it is with Christ.
Here is not staying with cups, much less with half cups, but stay-
ing with whole flaggons ; there is a kind of inebriating, whereby
Christ doth, in a spiritual sense, make believers, that keep him
company, spiritually drunk : he overcomes them with wine. ** In
that day, saith the Lord, I will make a feast of fat things, full of
marrow, of wine well refined upon the lees," Isaiah xxv, 6.
CHRIST THE ONLY WAY. '57
Here Is abundance, it is a feast, and " a feast of fat things full
of marrow," which is the best of fatness ; a feast " of wine well
refined upon the lees," pure and clarified wines ; this is the en-
tertainment Christ hath for those that keep him company. The
Psalmist, in Psalm xxxvi. 7, 8, hath an excellent expression to
this purpose, (speaking of the excellency of Christ) saith he,
" Therefore the sons of men shall put their trust under the
shadow of his wings :" well, what follows, when they put their
trust under the shadow of his wings, that is, when they shall
make choice of him to be their way ; " They shall be abundantly
satisfied with the fatness of thy house ; thou shalt make them
drink of the rivers of thy pleasure." Mark, " of thine, for
(saith he) With thee is the well of life :" here are not only plea-
sures, but rivers of pleasures ; here is not only life, but a well of
life ; such dainties and delicates, such curiosities and rarities, as
the world can never shew, nor see, nor taste. We read in the
Revelations, of " a white stone, and a new name written in it,
which none could know, nor read, but he that had it." This I
, am sure of, there are delights in Christ, none can possibly reach
unto, but those to whom Christ doth give himself, and those that
receive him : therefore, in Matt. xi. 25, our Saviour thanks his
Father thus ; " I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and
earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent,
and hast revealed them unto babes ; even so, because it pleased
thee." And it is worth observing, he doth not thank him, that he
hath revealed them to the mighty, and great, and wise, that
abound in all the manner of abilities far above others, but
" unto babes ;" there is much in that phrase ; a babe is the
weakest of all sorts of men ; implying thus much, that the weak-
est of all believers, in the body of Christ, as I may say, the
feeblest babe, shall partake of such hidden things, such excel-
lencies of Christ, that all the world shall never be able to dive
into, reach, nor comprehend; and Christ himself takes such
delight in their societies, that he takes occasion to bless God,
the Father, that he is so large for his sake, to do so much for
them, above what he did for others. So yo see, Christ is also a
pleasant way, a way of exceeding great content and delight;
there is yet one thing more.
Christ is a way, of all the ways in the world the most easy to
De hit; there is no difficulty to find it out, nor to find out a
5S CHRIST THE ONLY WA7
progress in it. Many ways may lead unto a comfortable end;
but there are so many cross ways to turn men out, that they lose
themselves. In the way of works a man may presently lose him-
self; there is not one work he doth, but he commits sin in it,
and so he presently steps aside, and loses himself, and must
begin again, and go about, and come where he was at first.
God will never let any soul come near unto him, that comes to
him with any sin whatsoever ; if there be any one sin, all must
be undone, a man must begin again, as they say. I speak this
of the righteousness of man, while he makes that his way to
God. Therefore Christ is the way ; there is no stepping aside
in Christ, no losing of him. There cannot be an error com-
mitted, which, when a man comes to the Father by Christ, shall
be taken notice of, as an error from that person : so, T say, it is
the easiest way in the world to be hit. It is true what Peter
saith of Paul, " Many things in his writings are very hard to be
understood;" but mark, in the gospel, things that do pertain
unto the justification of a sinner, are written in such great and
plain letters, that he that runs may read them. Do but observe
a few expressions, which shew how easy it is to hit the way,
Christ himself being the way ; in Isa. xxxv. 8, " A highway
there shall be, and the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not
err therein." The Psalmist tells us, that " the commandments
of God give light unto the eyes ;" the gospel out of question
makes the simple wise : there are some things you know, that
you are able to teach fools ; though you are not able to teach
them deep mysteries.
Beloved, Christ the way to salvation, makes himself so plain
to those that come unto him, that though they be very fools, yet
they shall not mistake, nor err; nay, though fools and way-
faring men : a wise man, if he be a wayfaring man, that is, a
stranger, may miss his way ; but if a man be a stranger, and a
fool too, it must be a very easy way that he hits. A fool may
hit a way in which he hath long conversed, which strangers may
easily miss ; but, saith the Holy Ghost, the way that Christ is
made to men, is such a way, that " fools, though wayfaring men,
shall not err therein.
Again, Christ is the way, and such a way, as is a spacious,
large, elbow-room way, as I may so say : there is abundance of
largeness and elbow-room in Christ the way to the Father; there-
CHRIST THE ONLY WAY.
59
fore Christ himself salth, " If the Son make you free, then aro
you free indeed." When Christ comes to bring liberty to men,
then they are at liberty indeed: therefore, it is said, Gal. v. 1,
" Stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made you free,
and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage :" when a man
enters into Christ, he enters into liberty and freedom ; there is a
contracted bondage in every way and condition but Christ alone.
But some will say. How do you answer that place in Matt. vli.
14, " Strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, that leadeth unto
life, and few there be that find it ?" How can Christ be such a
way of liberty, when the way is said to be an exceeding strait
and narrow way ?
I answer, (first mark the words that go before) Christ speaks
not this simply, but comparatively ; the way is strait and narrow,
in comparison of that he speaks of; for the words before are,
" Broad is the way, and wide is the gate, that leadeth to destruc-
tion, and many there be that enter in thereat :" then he comes in
afterwards with these ; " Strait is the gate, and narrow is the
way, that leadeth unto life ;" that is, in comparison of the vast
liberty and scope the world takes to walk in, and the vast rang-
mgs of their vain hearts, it is a strait way ; but, simply considering
him in himself, he is a large way ; large in respect of the number
that go in it, and in respect of the elbow-room in it. In a
narrow way, few can go a-breast, it will hold but a few men ; but,
in open broad ways, many may go together. Mark, now, how
Christ is a large and spacious way ; " He died not for our sms
only, but for the sins of the whole worid " 1 John ii. 2* See
* The design of the apostle in these words, is to comfort his little children with the
advocacy and propitiatory sacrifice of Christ, who might fall into sin, through weakness
and inadvertency : but what comfort would it yield to a distressed mind, to be told
that Christ was a propitiation, not only for the sins of the apostles and other saints,
but for the sins of every individual in the world, even of those that are in hell ? Would
it not be natural for persons in such circumstances, to argue rather against, than for
themselves, and conclude, that seeing persons might be damned notwithstanding the
propitiatory sacrifice of Christ, that this might and would be the case.
In the writings of the apostle John, the word world admits of a variety of senses ;
and therefore the sense of it in one place cannot be the rule for the interpretation of
it in another ; which can only be fixed as the text or context determine : sometimes it
signifies the whole universe of created beings, John i. 10 ; sometimes the habitable
earth, John xvi. 28; sometimes the inhabitants of it, John i. 10 ; sometimes uncon-
verted persons, both elect and reprobate, John xv. 19 ; sometimes the worser part of
the world, the wicked, John xvii. 9 ; sometimes the better part, the elect, Johii i. 29,
and vi. 33, 51 ; sometimes a number of persons, and that a small one in comparison of
the rest of mankind, John xii. 19 ; in one place it is used three times, and in so many
senses, John i. 10, he, i. e. Christ, " was in the world," the habitable earth, and " the
world," the whole universe, " was made by him ;" and " the world," the inhabitants
60 CHRIST THE ONLY WAi .
what a spaciousness there is in Christ, that the whole world, the
multitude of people of all sorts in the world, may have elbow-
room in this way.
But, secondly, " Strait is the gate, and narrow is the way :"
what is this straitness ? to this question perhaps you will answer,
a strict, austere, and severe life ; a preciseness and exactness
without giving to a man's self any liberty whatsoever : this is the
straitness of the way, that leadeth unto life. But give me
leave to add, I confess the stricter christians can walk the better ;
and Christ will more and more confine the life of a believer unto
a holy exactness ; but, under favour, I conceive, this is not the
meanino- of the text here, that by the straitness of the way, is
meant strictness of conversation: but rather the meaning is,
" Strait is the gate, and narrow is the way;" that is, it hath not
that latitude in it, that generally men think it hath. What is
that 1 men generally think, that besides Christ, there is some-
thin «• more in the way that leadeth to life, and that is a man's
own rio-hteousness ; not only Christ, but a man's own righteous-
ness jointly together with Christ ; these are the way to salva-
tion : this is the conceit of many men ; but I say, it is strait and
narrow, in this regard, that all a man's own righteousness must
be cut out of the way : it must be so narrow, that there must be
nothino- in the way, but Christ ; when a man's own righteous-
ness is taken into the way, besides Christ, then it is a broader
way than Christ allows of; he allows only that way to * himself.
of the earth " knew him not ;" and which is not to be understood of them all ; for
there were some, though few, who did know him : and I will venture to affirm, that the
word world is always used in the apostle John's writings in a restrictive and limited
sense, for some only ; unless when it designs the whole universe, or habitable earth,
senses which are out of the question ; for none will say Christ died for the sun, moon,
and stars, for fishes, fowls, brutes, sticks, and stones ; and that it is never used to sig-
nify every individual of mankind that has been, is, or shall be, in the world ; in which
sense it ought to be proved it is used, if any argument can be concluded from it in
favour of general redemption.
* Mr. Anthony Burgess, in his " Vindicaj Legis," p. 32, finds great fault with the
Doctor's sense of Matt. vii. 13, 14, applying the words to Christ, which he represents
as a forced interpretation of them ; whereas nothing is more easy and natural, for, as
Christ elsewhere calls himself a door, and a way, John x. 9, and xiv. 6, why not here
a gate and a way ? Moreover, if any thing besides Christ is here meant, there must
be more ways than one to heaven, and Christ could not be the only way ; for certain
it is, that the way here spoken of leads to eternal life, for nothing else can be meant by
life : and as to what this writer says, that then by the opposition, not wickedness,
but the devil himself would be the broad way ; it may be replied, that not the devil
only is opposed to Christ, but every thing that is wicked, yea that has the appear-
ance of good, but is not really so ; and the broad way may very well be thought to
take in the devil, and all his lusts, which men will do, and walk in ; and not only
open vice and prophaneness, but all the false guises of religion and holiness, and a
man's own polluted and pharisaical righteousness, to which Christ and his righteous-
ness stand opposed. Matt. v. 20.
CHRIST THE ONLY WAY, 61
And that this is the meaning, seems to me by the words that
follow : " Beware (salth Christ in the next words) of false
prophets, that come in sheep's cloathing, that inwardly are ra-
vening wolves :" it seems, in this Christ gives a warning, how
to beware of false prophets, by telling men, " That strait is the
gate, and narrow is the way that leadeth to life :" And what false
prophets were they ? if you consult with Luke, Acts xv. 1 — 24,
you shall understand who these false prophets were, and withal,
the meaning of this text : there you shall find that these false
prophets were they that troubled the church, and occasioned that
assembly, the first council that ever was : some (say the coun-
cil) " that went out from us have troubled you with words, sub-
verting your souls, saying, you must be circumcised, and keep
the law, or else you cannot be saved:" these are the false pro-
phets Christ meant, that would make the observation of the law
of Moses, and circumcision, to be co-partners with Christ, as a
way to salvation ; to whom say the apostles. " We gave no such
commandment." You shall find that in the epistles to the Ga-
latians and Colossians, all the apostle's contests were with such
" false prophets that came in sheep's cloathing ;" they were not
false prophets that came in wolves' habits, that are openly pro-
phane and scandalous ; they can deceive no man, they shew them-
selves to all; but they are "false prophets in sheep's cloathing ;"
that is, they seem to be sheep, they seem to be austere ; they seem
to preach nothing but righteousness and holiness ; but yet they are
ravenous wolves ; how so 1 they make men build upon their own
righteousness, and not upon Christ, and so destroy poor souls:
these are those the apostle bids us beware of, in Gal. iii. 1, 2, 3,
" Who, saith he, hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey
the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hatli been evidently set
forth, crucified among you ? This only would I learn of you,
received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing
of faith 1 having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect
by the flesh ?" Thus he argues against the false prophets, that
will establish the righteousness of man, as the way to life.
In a word or two, there are two things more considerable, 1
will but touch them ; Christ is a shady way ; in hot weather, men
much desire shady places : you know the case of Jonah, when he
was scorched with heat, God provided for him a gourd, and how
eomfortable was it upon him 1 Christ is a shady way : " Hide
62 CHRIST THE ONLV WAV
thyself for a little moment, till the indignation be over-past,*
saith Christ, Isa. xxvi. 20, When the scorching glooms of God*s
wrath break out into the world, Jesus Christ is a hiding-place,
" till the indignation be over-past,"
Again, Christ is a quiet way* ; there are some private ways
men affect, because there is but little disturbance ; but in some
other ways, especially in some common road-ways, there is no-
thing but quarrelling and revelling ; but Christ, he is a quiet way ;
all is peace while you are in Christ ; " The God of hope fill you
with all joy and peace in believing," Rom, xv, 13 ; believe, and
there is all peace for you; " being justified," (Rom, v, 1,) that
is, while you are in Christ to justify you, there is " Peace with
God, through our Lord Jesus Christ ;" and nothing but peace,
I see the time is past ; something else I should have considered,
especially the ground why Christ is such a way, but I shall rather
break off abruptly.
SERMON V.
Christ's pre-eminence.
COLOSSIANS i, 18.
THAT IN ALL THINGS HE MIGHT HAVE THE PRE-EMINENCE,
This admirable, sweet, and comfortable apostle of the Gentiles,
makes it the master-piece of his apostleship, to woo and win
people unto Christ : " We are the ambassadors of Christ, be-
seeching you, in Christ's stead, to be reconciled unto God :" as
in all the rest of his epistles, so especially in this, and more es-
pecially in this 1st chapter, he shews an excellent faculty he hath
this way, in this business of wooing people to come to Christ :
Isaiah xxxii. 17.
CHniST^S PRE-EMINliNCB. 63
he observes what most effectually takes with people to beguile
their spirits, as he speaks himself, with a kind of craft to catch
their affections ; especially, if you observe from the 15th verse of
this chapter, and so on, you shall find, the apostle meets with
every thing that is most enamouring and taking with the people.
The world is mightily taken with beauty, with completeness of
person ; Oh ! saith one, let me have a beautiful person, it is no
matter how poor : if beauty be so taking, then, saith the apostle,
I will present a rare piece indeed to you, in presenting Christ;
for such is the beauty of Christ, that there is no beauty like his ;
he (saith he) is " The image of the invisible God;" that is one
commendation of his. But, will some say, so is every man as
well as Christ ; what rareness is there in Christ in this regard ?
It is true, man is after the image of God, but where the apostle
calls him " The image of the invisible God," he speaks in an
eminent manner ; therefore, you shall find him expressing him-
self more fully, in setting forth the rare beauty of Christ, in Heb.
i, 3, " Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express
image of his person." He is the image of God to the life, as I
may say ; he is so like him, you cannot know one from the other,
he hath so the perfections of God, that there can be nothing more
like than he is unto the Father, expressing the brightness of his
glory. But there are some, though they find beauty, yet that
alone will not take; besides that, some men look for lineage,
what stock a person is of: is he come of a good house, of a noble
and royal blood 1 blood is a great matter, especially with high
spirits. Well, if this will take, then there is no stock like th's
of Christ ; he is of the greatest house in the world ; " The first-
born* (saith the apostle) of every creature :" he comes of that
great house, of God himself.
And so doth the creature too, you will say ; what rarity is there
in Christ above the creatures ? they all come of God.
I answer ; But, beloved, the creatures are of, and in the house
of God, as the apostle speaks of Moses, in Heb. iii. 5, " As
servants in the house ;" Christ as a Son ; Christ is not only of a
royal house, but he is born of that royal house ; he is the natural
Son of the Father, " This is my beloved Son ;" so that he is ol
the very blood-royal ; (as I may so say with reverence) and he
' He » the Jirst parent, or b/inger forth of every creature into being, aj lh«
word will l)ear tc be rendered.
Christ's pre-eminence.
is not a younger brother in this house neither, for he is the first-
begotten of the house ; that is a great matter among persons to
marry the heir of a family ; so he is. Nay, more than that, he is
the only-begotten of the house ; there is never another in all the
family ; and that is a great encouragement, he is " the only-be-
gotten Son of God, full of grace and truth," saith the apostle,
John i. 14. So that if men go all the world over, to find a match
in the noblest house, they will never meet with such a one as
this of the Son of God. Thus he commends him. But yet some
are ready to say, " Suppose he be of a noble house, he may be
in disgrace, and he may live privately, and have no authority,
nor be able to do any great matters." If this will do, then the
apostle commends Christ as the rarest, in respect of his power and
authority ; " All things were made by him, and for him ;" that
is, all things in the world are at his command and beck ; they
bow unto him, they stoop before him ; " At his name every knee
shall bow, both of things in heaven, and things in earth, and
things under the earth ;" every thing goes through his hands.
Yea, but it may be, will some say, he is in disgrace in court,
ihat is a blur upon him,
I answer. No, he is not so great in the country, but he is as
great in the court too ; for, as he hath the whole world under his
.jower, so he hath the great king at his beck ; he commands in
heaven, as he doth upon earth ; there is nothing he can ask ol
the Father, but it is answered ; he never has a nay ; if any come
to be suitor to him to put up a petition, he is sure to speed.
But, for all this, he may be but a poor man, though he have never
so great power in court and country ; if he be poor, I shall live but
poorly withhim ; if he were rich, and had abundance of wealth, then
there were some hope, some encouragement to take such an one.
I answer, Christ is not greater in court and country, than he
is rich in treasure ; so you shall find in the 19th verse, " It
pleased the Father, that in him all fulness should dwell." All
fulness ; all the treasures of wisdom are hid in him ; he hath the
whole world to dispose of ; therefore silver and gold are not to
be compared unto him.
Yea, but yet there is one thing more ; though he hath riches
yet he may prove a niggard, close-fisted, he may keep all to him-
self; the party that hath him may be poor enough, for want of
contribution.
Christ's pre-em,nenck. 65
But, beloved, he is not raore rich himself, than he Is liberal to
rontribute of his treasure, to make those that are his, sharers to
the uttermost of all that he hath. Therefore, in chap. ii. 10, (for
he follows this subject all along,) the apostle tells us, not only, as
.n verse 9, " That in him dwells the fulness of the Godhead
bodily," but " You are complete in him who is the head of the
body." The head, you know, is not a niggard: what fulness the
head hath, it communicates to every part: Chris* s a head, and
a head of fulness, the fulness of the Godhead. And, as the head
is not sparing, but disperseth, and scattereth all that is in it, so
that every member shall have a share ; and not a share merely
to keep life and soul together, as we say, but a share to make a
man complete: so, if any persons in the world would devise what
they could desire in such a one to match themselves unto, you
shall find that a creature cannot frame those perfections, in its
fancy, which it would enjoy ; I say, men cannot frame any per-
fections, to come so near the real perfections of Christ, as a sha-
dow comes near the substance. You have a proverb, that " Ba-
chelors' wives, and maids' diildren, must be rare creatures;"
that is, their fancy will devise what kind of one they will have,
and what kinds of perfections tbey desire. Let the fancy devise
what kind of perfection it can, to please sense, Christ shall really
out-strip, in perfection, all these fancies, more than a substance
loth out-strip a shadow."
Now, the apostle having delivered himself thus fully by way of
wooing nnto Christ, he comes to close in the words of the text;
and so declares the end and purpose for which he sets out Christ
in so many excellencies as he did; the end of this was, " That
in all things he might have the pre-eminence ;" that he may be
taken for the most excellent thing in the world ; that all things
may be rejected, rather than he; and he set above every thino- in
the world. So then, the point in brief is this, in regard of the
rare excellencies, and perfections, and usefulness of Christ, which
are incomparable, he ought to have the pre-eminence in all
things. In handling of which, we shall consider.
First, What the pre-eminence is, which Christ ought to have.
Secondly, Why he should have the pre-eminence in all these.
And then a word or two of application.
First, What is this pre-eminence that Christ should have. I
will not insist upon the word pre-eminence : you all know, to
F
08 Christ's pre-eminence.
give a person or thing the pre-eminence, is no more than this,
to set up such a person or thing above all others, and especially
for those uses and purposes we have occasion of them for : I
say, to choose such a person before any other, as a person who
can better, and more certainly bring to pass what we desire,
than any else can. So that in brief, to give Christ the pre-emi-
nence, is, to set up Christ above all things in the world ; to
choose Christ, rather than any thing, for every use and purpose
to make of him : I say, above and before any thing whatsover,
as apprehending him infinitely more able and sufficient unto
such purposes than any thing else is.
But more particularly, that we might the better see what the
pre-eminence is, that Christ ought to have ; you must know,
that there is an infallible pattern drawn out unto us, according
unto which we are to write our copy. In general, therefore,
the pre-eminence we are to give unto Christ, is, the pre-emi-
nence that the Father hath given unto him before us, and re-
vealed unto us, that we may, in our way, give the same to hira;
therefore, we must consider a while what pre-eminence the Father
gives unto Christ. You shall find, that the Father in many-
things infinitely sets up Christ above all things in the world : he
chose Christ before all things in the world. For instance : first,
the Father gives Christ the pre-eminence of his affections, his
love and his deliofht. There is nothinor in the world, the Father
loves and delights in, as he doth in his Son. All the delight the
creatures have from the Father, are but beams from the sun of
righteousness, in the eyes of God. That Christ hath more
abundance of the Father's love, than any creature in the world
hath, I will give you but one passage or two, for the clearing of
it. Look into Prov. viii. 30, 31. By the way, you must note,
first, that wisdom, spoken of in this chapter, is generally under-
stood by all, to be Christ alone ; and that which is indeed
affirmed of wisdom, can be affirmed of none but Christ. Among
other particulars, note these two, to manifest it is Christ, and that
he hath that choice affection of the Father: " I was set up (saith
Wisdom here) from everlasting." I was set up from everlast-
ing: none was everlasting but the Father to set him up; none
could be everlasting but the Sun to be set up. All creatures
had their beginning and being in time. Now, observe the affec-
tion of the Father in this ; I was set up from everlasting ; it
Christ's pre-eminence. 67
doth properly set forth the nature of pre-eminence, Wisitom
speaks of many things; God did lay the foundations of the
earth, made the sea, and several creatures ; but 1 was set up
from everlasting; as much as if he should say, these have
their place in the world, but my place is above them, in the
affection of God. And, that this setting up is meant of God's
affection to Christ above any creature in the world, mark what
he speaks in verse 30, " Then I was by him, as one brought up
with him : I was daily his delight in the habitable parts of the
earth ; I was by him as one brought up with him ;" the meaning
is, Christ is here considered as the darling of the Father. All
the creatures in the world are brought up by God, in a large
sense; but he was brought up with him, that is to say, he was
the very fondling of him. When Abraham had an Isaac, Isaac
must be brought up with Abraham, and Ishraael must be sent
abroad; Ishmael shall have a portion, but shall not be brought
up with him. This shews the difference of affection to one be-
fore the other. Bringing up with him as an argument of affection ;
" I was brought up with him, I was daily his delight :" He
made the creatures, but Christ was his only delight ; that is, he
he could not look upon any creature in the world, and delight in
it, but this delight he had in his Son, did swallow up the delight
he had in any creature. In brief, the love and delight of the
Father hath such a pre-eminence in the Son, that the truth is^
there is no creature in the world doth actually participate of one
jot of the love of the Father, but by the Son, and for the Son's
sake; as the Son becomes the channel, or rather the spring, that
receives from the ocean of God's love. That love the creature
participates of, it participates of it by Christ ; you know, when
we partake of sweet streams that run in rivers and channels, we
are beholden to the spring for the stream ; and what the spring
receives, that it conveys to the channel from the ocean. The
heart of God, as I may so speak, is the ocean, the first* rise of
all love to the creature ; Christ is the spring that first receives
from him, and then through him is all love diffused to the
creature.
You know, that by nature we are children of wrath, subjects
of the hatred and displeasure of God, being at enmity with God;
• 1 John iv. 19.
v2
63 Christ's pre-eminence
how do we partake of God again ? " God is in Christ, (saitli the
text,) reconciling the world unto himself:" so that this uniting
again to the Father, in the participating of the love of the
Father, comes again in Christ ; " You that sometimes were afar
off, hath he made nigh by the blood of Christ :" afar off, in re-
spect of the affection of God, in regard of our sinful nature ; but
made nigh, that is, reduced again into the affection of God by
the blood of Christ*. Here is the pre-eminence of Christ above
the creature, he hath infinitely more of affection ; he is the spring
and fountain of that affection that the creature partakes of.
Now, then, we are to give this pre-eminence unto Christ, that
reveals this unto us, that so we may see the pattern according to
which we are to walk, and do likewise. We should so make
Christ the choicest in our affection; we can never place love
and affection more orderly, than by placing affection according
to the pattern God sets ; so far as we affect according to God,
and imitate him in affecting, so far are our affections placed
aright : to put the cart before the horse ; to affect things of lower
degree, above things that are higher ; to give pre-eminence to
things that should come behind, and to bring that behind that
should have pre-eminence, is the disorder of man's affection ; it
swerves from the pattern and example of God himself. So then,
Christ hath the pre-eminence over all persons with us, when he
is really promoted and exalted above all creatures in the world
in our affection : " Whom have I in heaven but thee ?" saith
Asaph ; " I desire nothing in the earth in comparison of thee.'*
Here is the pre-eminence of affection given unto Christ, when
there is nothing in the world in the affection comparable unto
him. You shall see the like in the Canticles, v. 9, 10, the church
discoursing about her beloved, the strangers ask her, " What is
thy beloved, more than another beloved ?" she answers, " My
beloved is the chief often thousands." Here is the pre-eminence
ascribed. When the people of Israel heard David say, he would
go to war, they fell upon him with " Thou art more worth than
ten thousand of us." Here was the pre-eminence given to the
King. So, I say, when in affection Christ is promoted as the
chief among ten thousands ; nay, let all things in the world bo
• This must be understood, as the Doctor explains it, of the open participation and
»r joyment of the love of God, and not of the secret love of God, and the cause and
crigin uf it, which is his own sovereign will, and not the blood of Christ.
Christ's pre-eminence. 69
set with Christ, they are trash to him ; then, I say, is given a
real pre-eminence unto Christ, when, in affection, in regard of
the excellencies of Christ, he is set above every thing in the
world.
Secondly, The Father gives Christ this pre-eminence besides ;
namely, in a far more enlarged and multiplied proportion of gifts
and parts above all creatures. Christ is the Benjamin of his
Father, whose mess is more than five times as much as all the
rest of the brethren. The apostle, Phil. ii. 9, tells us, " That
God hath highly exalted him, and given him a name above every
name ;" and in Heb. i. 9, he hath anointed his Christ, " He
hath anointed him with the oil of gladness above his fellows."
You shall find, that God promotes Christ even above angels ;
Heb. i. and ii. insists mainly upon this point, in how many re-
spects God exalts Christ above angels ; " To which of his angels
said he at any time, thou art my Son, this day have 1 begotten
thee ?" But, I say, principally in respect of parts and gifts, you
shall find that that which God bestows upon Christ, is far more
than he bestows upon any creature. In John iii. 34, it is said,
" God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him ;" we receive
drop by drop of that we have ; we have it but scanty, to that
which Christ hath ; he hath received the Spirit not by measure.
The truth is, Christ receives a proportionable gift as head ; now
a head not only requires to have what should supply itself of
spirit, but such a proportion as is sufl5cient to supply all the
parts, from the head to the foot ; therefore, it must needs have
more than the several parts themselves ; we need no more than
for our own sustenance. Christ is our head, and therefore as a
head must have the pre-eminence ; that is, a larger proportion of
gifts than others ;- for others are but to find for themselves, but
he is to maintain himself, and to maintain the whole body too.
Thus should we give Christ the pre-eminence, to which the
Father hath exalted him above creatures, giving unto him more
than unto creatures ; nay, giving unto creatures all they have by
him ; I say, so should we give him the pre-eminence likewise.
Whither should a creature go for water, but unto the spring ?
whither should the creature go for strength, but unto the foun-
tain of strength 1 Is it not a derogation unto Christ, that all
fulness should be in him alone, and we forsake this fountain of
fulness to go unto broken cisterns that will hold no water
70 CHRIST*S PRE-EMINENCE.
Mark it well, as often as ever you run to any creature in any ne-
cessity or exigence, either before you go to Christ, or instead of
going to Christ ; so often you rob Christ of that pre-eminence
that God hath given unto him, and you should give unto him.
If any creature in the world seem in your fancy to have a help-
fulness, a likelihood of strength, and of supply ; and this like-
lihood of supply seems more likely than one from Jesus Christ ;
so far is the pre-eminence of Christ brought down, and the crea-
ture hath gotten a pre-eminence above him. Look to it, beloved,
Avhile you run to the creature, to the world, for this, and that,
and the -other thing, and think it must come this way, or it will
never come, Christ is wholly neglected of you : and you that are
of a more spiritual strain, that when you are under any trial, run
to any grace, or temper of spirit in you, or any qualifications, or
any performances you can tender ; and look after them, as the
thing that most likely will furnish you with what you want, while
you look faintly and coldly upon Christ, and the freeness of that
grace that Christ brings alone with himself; so long you deny
unto Christ the pre-eminence of those parts and gifts God hath
given unto him above other things. If God hath given unto any
creatures more than unto Christ, you might rather have sought
unto them than unto Christ ; you might more properly look and
wish for supply in them ihan in Christ ; but if Christ hath more
than any creature in the world ; nay, if Christ be made the sole
and only fountain of supply, whether for the spirits, or the
outward man ; then must he have this pre-eminence to be
sought unto rather than any thing in the world, for the furnishing
of you, and supplying you with that, that must come from this
fountain.
Thirdly, The Father gives Christ this pre-eminence to be the
foundation to bear up all things : the apostle tells us, " Other
foundation can no man lay, than that which is laid, which is
Jesus Christ," 1 Cor. iii. 11 ; and in Heb. i. 2, speaking of
Christ, " As the brightness of the Father," he saith also, "That
he doth uphold all things by the word of his power :" God then
gives to Christ this pre-eminence to be the foundation. The
creature therefore robs Christ of his pre-eminence, Avhen Christ
must not be the tounaation to bear up all things, but other
foundations shall be laid ; as if there were a firmer or securer
bottom to bear up than Christ himself In Isa, xxviii. 16, you
Christ's pre-eminence. 71
shall see what pre-eminence the Father gives unto Christ as the
foundation ; " Behold, (saith he,) I lay in Sion for a foundation, a
stone, a tried stone, a precious corner-stone, a sure foundation."
St. Peter hath an addition hereunto, in Peter ii. 4, 5, " An
elect, precious stone, a living stone, unto whom coming, ye as
lively stones are built up a spiritual house." Mark what pre-
eminence he hath given to Christ, to be such a kind of founda-
tion to uphold all things.
To give a touch of these things : first, he is a stone, the firmest
bottom in the world, for the security of that which is laid upon
it from sinking : give Christ this pre-eminence too. Beloved,
look unto him, and consider him as a stone, an immoveable
rock ; such a rock as you may sit down with this confidence,
that though heaven and earth shake and come together, what-
soever is laid upon him shall never totter.
He is a " tried stone," saith the text ; that is, more than barely
a stone. You know what pre-eminence those medicines have,
that have probatum est over-written ; that is an approved medi-
cine, and, upon trial, found to be good. You know what pre-
eminence that armour of proof hath, when a musket is discharged
upon it, and the bullet pierceth it not ; this is of pre-eminence
above others. Christ is " a tried stone ;" there is a probatum est
written over the head of this stone ; he was tried by the Father,
he is tried by believers, he is tried by his enemies ; and a pro-
batum est is written over his head, that he is a stone with a wit-
ness* : tried by the Father, first, in his secret council ; he found
that nothing in the world could stand under that business which
was to be done ; he was tried by him on earth ; " he made the
iniquities of us all to meet on him," Isa. liii. 6, and yet they
could not make his back to break ; here he was ti'ied, he made
him a butt for all his wrath, the whole quiver of his envenomed
arrows ; yet he stood to it : he was tried by believers ; they have
put him to it to the utmost : he is tried by his very enemies,
who find him a grindstone to grind them to powder ; and a bul-
wark of security for all such whom they oppose.
He is not only a tried stone, but " a precious tried stone,"
saith the apostle, that is more : he gives him this pre-eminence,
to be a precious stone. You know, when the Holy Ghost sets
• Heb. X. 14. Zech. iv. 7-
72 Christ's p»«-eminence.
forth the glory of the church m the Revelations, under the name
and title of such and such precious stones, of which the founda-
tion, the gates, and the walls were made, it is set forth in way of
excellency, that they are precious stones ; here, I say, is pre-
eminence, that Christ is a precious stone, as well as a tried
stone ; precious to God, nothing so delectable as what he doth ;
precious to believers, precious in respect of beauty (no beauty
like his) ; precious in respect of his value ; nothing of worth
comparable to him ; " the fruit of the body for the sin of the
soul, thousands of rams, and ten thousand rivers of oil," come
not near in value to the ransom of the soul ; but Christ hath
ransomed it, and is raised from the grave. All the creatures in
the world, gathered up together, could never make up a sum to
buy out the soul : therefore he is precious, precious in value and
worth : all receipts in the world spend out their virtue, and are
dry things, to the virtue and excellency of Christ : such is the
virtue that is found in Christ, that let him but come and lay his
mouth to the foot, where the thorn is, he draws out the thorn ;
nay, he lays his mouth to the plague-sore * of the soul, and he
sucks out the venom ; it is true, he drinks his own bane ; for the
present, it costs him his life : but he sucks out the poison f from
the person that makes use of him. There are many precious
stones, they say, that are of admirable virtue, but yet none is
compared unto Christ. He is " a sure foundation," saitb the
prophet, that is more ; not only precious, but sure ; so sure, that
lay what load you can lay upon the back of Christ, he stoops
not ; and, therefore, he was excellently typified by those brazen
pillars in Solomon's temple ; they were made of brass, on pur-
pose to shew their strength, whereon the whole weight of the
porch of the temple lay. Christ hath this pre-eminence given
unto him of the Father, that although an infinite weight were to
be imposed upon him, yet he should go away with all. And in
this regard, Sampson was a type of him, who, being barred up
in the city among the Philistines, takes the gates of the city, and
carries them up into a mountain, and there lays them : he is so
" sure a foundation," that lay the load of all the sins you ever
committed ; lay the load of all the sins of all the people that
shall be saved by him, yet he stoops not ; these break him not,
• Num. xxi 8, 9, John iii. 14, 15. f 2 Cpr. xr, 56.
CHRIST'S PRK-RMINBNCE. 73
he will carry them away as easily as Sampson the gates : add to
that, the load of all your duties and performances, and businesses-
in the world ; lay all upon Christ, he will do all for you. But,
must not we do them ? ye will say. Yea, he will do them for
you, and in you : first, he will do them for you, namely, in ful-
filling righteousness in his own person, which he presents to his
Father, as that righteousness whereby believers shall be justified
before the Father. As he doth all for them, so he doth all
righteousness in them. Your duties are as the duty you do to a
deceased friend ; you think it is the last duty you shall do for
him, to carry him to the grave ; though you may have bearers,
you shall go under the corpse, but the bearers shall have all the
weight upon their shoulders, so that you go easy, in respect of
the assistance of the bearers : all the duties we have to do, may
seem weighty ; this is a hard saying, and that is a hard saying,
who can obey it ? But, know, that the Lord Christ is such a
pillar, such a bearer, to take all the weight of duties upon his
back, that he carries the burthen ; and so carries it, that you
shall go but as the friend of the corpse, the burthen shall be off
from your shoulders. In all duties God calls for of any person,
the strength of Christ is made perfect in the weakness of him
that is to do them. Christ takes not men simply from doing,
but he takes away the heaviness and the task. We look upon
duties as a yoke and burthen ; but mark what Christ saith,
" Take my yoke, for it is easy ; and my burthen, for it is light."
How can this be, that it should be a yoke, and yet easy ; a
burthen, and yet light ? It is a yoke and burthen in itself, to
any person that carries all himself, without Christ ; but easy and
light when Christ bears the weight of it. Again, add to this.
He is so sure a foundation^ that, besides duties, lay all your
burthens upon him, his back is broad enough to sustain all ; the
burthen of your spirits, the burthen of your outward man, all the
burthens of the church in general, while she is under the great-
est calamities : Christ, I say, is a sure foundation to bear all
these ; to bear the burthen of all the cares of all the people of
God ; " Cast your care upon him, for he cares for you," saith
the apostle. Finally, he is a sure foundation ; commit all your
comforts unto Christ, he will uphold all your comforts, he will
renew them and enlarge them.
Besides, he is an elect stone, singled out by God himself.
T4 CHRIST S PRK-KMINENCK.
for this very office, in respect of his excellency and usefulness, to
have the pre-eminence. And as he is elected unto it; this im-
ports, it is God's own act that Christ should have such a pre-
eminence, to be the foundation. Besides, as it is the act of
God. so there is a certainty that God himself must be drawn dry,
before Christ shall, or be left any jot unable to do that which is
imposed upon him : look, therefore, what God himself, in heaven,
is able to do, as he is God : all this is Christ made able to do,
by him that sends him about this employment : so that he must
be spent, before Christ shall be dry. If a father hath a child,
that he prizeth as his own life, a slave in the gallies, he will send
the ransom of his son to the gallies; he will spend all that ever
he hath, rather than his son shall not be redeemed. There is no
wise man sends a servant about any employment in the world,
but he furnishes him thoroughly to dispatch that business about
which he sends him : it is a vain thing for a master to send a
servant for five pounds worth of anything, and not give him so
much money. Doth God send Christ into the world to redeem
sinners, to sustain the burthen of sins, and not furnish him to do
the work he sends him about ? He might as well have kept him
at home, if he did not furnish him thoroughly, that he might
dispatch it.
Finally, He hath such a pre-eminence, as to be a living-stone,
and such a living-stone, as makes all stones living that come
near him. Here is the pre-eminence Christ hath ; of the load-
stone, you observe, all iron or steel that comes near it, it draws
all to it, and communicates, of its own virtue, to the iron it
draws: this is most like to Christ; Christ is such a loadstone,
that he draws many after him ; and, as he draws them after him,
so he communicates his own virtue to them: so that now, as he
IS a living-stone, he communicates life to them, though they
were dead in sin : and not only so, but he communicates a power
to them, to make other things lively. You have an observation
when once a knife is touched with a loadstone, it will draw
another : it is most certain Christ hath this virtue to draw souls
to himself, and when he draws them, they partaking of life from
him, he gives unto them to be instruments of life unto others • —
" When thou art converted (saith Christ to Peter), strengthen
thy brethren." Now, seeing Christ hath all this pre-eminence
given unto him by the Father, to be such a foundation to bear
Christ's pre-eminence. 75
up all things, let us give liim this pre-eminence to lay all upon
him, and not upon any thing else whatsoever; and so far as we
do lay all upon " this stone, this tried stone, this precious corner
stone, this sure foundation, this elect corner stone, this living-
stone ;" so far as we will venture all upon him, we so far give him
the pre-eminence : but, if he will be setting buttresses to the
house that is built upon a rock, what is this but a disparagement
to the foundation? If the foundation be firm and good, where-
fore then served buttresses? It is apparent the house will sink,
when it cannot stand alone without them : so far as you set up
any props unto Christ the foundation, that is to bear up all by
himself, so far you disparage Christ ; so far you bring him down,
and give him not the pre-eminence. I see the time steals away.
There are many particulars, wherein I should show you how you
may give the pre-eminence unto Christ. But I must hasten.
Consider, briefly, Why should Christ have the pre-eminence?
Why should not other things sit cheek-by -jole with him?* I
answer, Because it is the good will and pleasure of the Father he
should have the pre-eminence. What is the reason Joseph must
be the chief man in Egypt ? Pharaoh will have it so. What is
the reason that Mordecai must be led through the city with pomp
and triumph, and Haman lead the horse, when Mordecai was
counted a slave to Haman ? Why, King Ahasuerus will have it
so. And, if God will have it so, it must be so : if there were no
other reason, but God the Father's will, we, that are subjects,
should yield to the Father his own will, and give that honour to
him, whom he will honour : " What shall be done to the man
whom the King will honour? Thus shalt thou do to him. Let
the royal apparel be brought which the king useth to wear, and
the horse that the king rideth upon, and the crown-royal which
is set upon his head ; and let this apparel, and horse, be delivered
to the hand of one of the king's most noble princes, that they
may array the man withal, whom the king delighteth to honour,
and bring him on horseback through the city, and proclaim
before him. Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king will
honour," Esther, vi. 8, 9. As much as to say. Those the king
honours, the people must honour with him : so, if God the Father
will honour the Son with a pre-eminence upon earth, his will
• Side by side, or in eq^ualitv with him.
?!^i'fi
76 CHRIST S PRE-KMINENCE.
must be a law to us ; we must honour hiro with that pre-eminence,
because he will have it so.
Secondly, Christ must have the pre-eminence above all other
things in the world, as he is born unto it ; he is heir of all things.
You know, it is the right of the heir to have the inheritance, or,
a double portion above his brethren ; Christ, therefore, being the
heir of the world, the first begotten of the Father; nay, the only
Son ; it stands with nature, he should have the pre-eminence
above a younger brother.
Thirdly, Christ hath bought this pre-eminence ; he hath paid
for it to the uttermost value of it. He that buyeth a lordship,
it is fit he should be lord of the manor ; it is not fit any inferior
tenant should be above him, as long as he hath purchased and
given a price for it : Christ hath purchased this pre-eminence,
and he paid the Father the uttermost farthing ; " He beheld the
travail of his soul, and was satisfied" with it ; and therefore he
ought to have it.
Fourthly, Christ ought to have the pre-eminence of all things,
in that he alone is able to manage this pre-eminence. You
know there are many favourites in states sometimes, that have
the doing of all businesses of state, in respect of the favour of the
prince ; but the state comes to ruin, and they also, if they be not
able to manage the state. If any creature in the world should
have the pre-eminence given to him to manage all affairs in the
world, but Christ himself ; certainly, it would prove to the world,
as the poet feigned it did by the son of Phoebus, that went about
to drive the chariot of the sun : Phoebus could manas-e the same
in order; but Phaeton, a novice, a stripling, an ignorant fellow,
comes in ; he steps up to rule the sun, and the whole world is set
on fire : I say, it wovild be so at least with the world, if any
creature should have the pre-eminence to manage the affairs of
it. Look to the wisest man in the world, and most able to manaofe
the affairs of the world ; yet he hath so many irons in the fire,
some of them burn for want of looking to ; therefore, Christ
should have the pre-eminence, because he can go through stitch
with whatever business he undertakes.
Fifthly, Christ should have the pre-eminence in all things,
because ho hath best deserved it at our hands : we usually ho-
nour those people to whom we are most bound ; according to
the kindness received, so is our exalting of the person. Now,
Christ's pre-eminence, T7
what creature in the world comes near to Christ in loving kind-
ness and desert at our hands ? Where had we been, had not
Christ stept in between us and the Father to make peace with
the Father for us ? Oh ! what a fearful account should we have
come unto at the great tribunal of the Lord, had not Christ be-
fore-hand cancelled all that God could charge us withal, and
blotted out our transgressions, and presented us without spot or
wrinkle, or any such thing in the signt of God ; " In him you
live, move, and have your being ;" by him you have access to
the throne of grace, through a new and living way ; all you
have, and all that you are, all that you hope for hereafter, come
only from this fountain, this Christ, who hath purchased all of
the Father for you. If any creature in the world can do these
things for you, let the creature be exalted above him ; but if he
leave all the creatures of the world behind, and out-strip tliem,
good reason there is, according to his desert, he should have the
pre-eminence. The apostle, considering the infinite desert of
Christ to be exalted by men, breaks out into this vehement ex-
pression, " If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him
be accursed with a great curse," 1 Cor. xvi. 22, so deserves *
this Christ at the hands of man.
Now for application of it : is it Christ's due to have the pre-
eminence ? then bring down every thing that exalts itself above
Christ ; rear and set up the thrown-down and dejected Christ in
you ; you that have exalted the world, and made it your god,
bring down this idol, grind it to the dust, set up the Lord Christ ;
if you will have any thing in the world, let Christ hear of it.
When men would have any thing of a king, they never go to
the scullion in the kitchen ; but to the favourite, by whom the
king hath declared he will deliver things. When the people
came to Pharaoh, he sends them to Joseph, as Joseph said, he
would do ; so, I say to you, would you have any thing of God,
go to Christ, go by Christ to him. If you come in any other
name in the world, if God answers you in that you would have,
he answers you with a curse ; " This is my beloved Son, hear
him ;■' as he will direct you, so you shall speed : if Christ say,
your sins are forgiven, they shall be forgiven ; if Christ will
make a deed of gift to you, of liberty from bondage, of grace, or
* John XXI. 17.
78 Christ's pre-eminence.
of glory ; if Christ hatli once past the deed, the Father will un-
der-write to it and subscribe it : " If the Son make you free,
then are you free indeed :" for " of his fulness we do receive
grace for grace." In John xvii. 2, it is said, " The Father hath
given to him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal
life." As you will ha\e these things, go to Christ; if you go
any where else in the world, but to Christ, you shall go without ;
they are to be had no where else. God hath given him the pre-
eminence ; he must rule all, he must determine, and the Father
will yield ; " The Father hath given all judgment to the Son,
and he himself will judge no man. The government is laid
upon his shoulders :" therefore you must go where God sends
you, if you will speed for any thing of him.
Learn of Christ more, let Christ be the Alpha and Omega ;
in all things, begin in Christ, end in Christ ; do all by Christ,
get all by Christ.
But must not we serve in duty, will you say ?
I answer, ye must serve in duty and obedience, but look not
that that duty should bring any thing ; it is Christ brings every
thing you get ; you get nothing by duties : assure yourselves,
while you look to get by that you do, you will but get a knock,
because of so much sinfulness in the duty ; but if you will have
any good, you must get it by Christ : your duties you perform,
are that wherein you are to walk in the world, and before the
world, that you may be profitable to men ; but as for getting
any thing, assure yourselves, while you labour to get by duties,
you provoke God, as much as lies in you, to punish you for such
presumption, if not for the filthiness of the things you perform.
And as you must bring every thing down that exalts itself
above Christ ; so you must set Christ above every thing ; know,
this will be " the great condemnation, that light," that is Christ,
" is come into the world, and men love darkness rather than
light :" they love to run to other things, and to forsake the light ;
this will be the condemnation. So far as Christ is slighted, and
other things promotea above him, so far you take away the great
' end for which Christ was sent into the world, which was, " That
he might have the pre-eminence in all things."
SERMON VL
THE NEW COVENANT OF FREE ORACK.
ISAIAH xlii. 6, 7
AND I WILL GIVE THEE FOR A COVENANT OF THE PEOPLE,
POR A LIGHT OF THE GENTILES, TO OPEN THE BLIND EYES,
TO BRING OUT THE PRISONERS FROM THE PRISON, AND
THEM THAT SIT IN DARKNESS OUT OF THE PRISON-HOUSE.
The Lord is pleased by this sweet evangelist of the Jews, this
evangelical prophet Isaiah, to pour forth his own gracious
thoughts and purposes concerning his dear Son Christ ; in this
chapter especially, he reveals and declares himself from the be-
ginning of it.
It is worth the while to mark the coherence, to see how these
words come in.
First, He declares who it is that he sends into the world for
such a business, by two titles, in verse 1, first, he calls him a
servant, that is, in respect of the employment and business he
hath to do, wherein he is to serve the Lord : and in reference to
this business, he tells us what he doth, that this his servant may
dispatch it effectually, " Behold my servant, (saith he,) whom I
uphold." Secondly, he calls him his elect, and that m reference
to the designation or separation of him, the singling him out unto
this business. And he doth further amplify the description of
him, by the tenderness of this elect unto him, " My elect, (saith
he,) in whom my soul delighteth :" here is the description of the
person ; Christ is this person, as you shall hear by and by, whom
he thus describes.
In the next place the Lord propounds the great end for which
he doth elect this his servant, and uphold him, and furnish him
80 THE NEW COVENANT.
with his Spirit: For he saith also, *' I have put my spirit upon
him ;" and the end of it is, " That he may bring judgment to
the Gentiles :" here you see who he is ; how he is furnished ;
and to what end he is furnished : " A servant upheld, the Spirit
put upon him," to the Pud, " that he might bring judgment to
the Gentiles."
The Lord proceeds further, and shews how this servant of his
shall deport and demean himself: after what manner he shall
carry this business in the world, " To bring judgment to the
Gentiles." He describes this in two circumstances. First,
Christ shall dispatch this business of the Father, not in a ruffling
or stirring way : he shall not make a great noise, as men use to
do, sounding trumpets before them, when they do any good ; but
as you have it in the 2d verse, " He shall not cry, nor lift up,
nor cause his voice to be heard in the streets :" he shall go pri-
vately about his business. And, secondly, he doth illustrate the
manner of managing and ordering this business, by the tender-
ness of the Spirit of this Christ towards those people with whom
he shall deal; he doth, 1 say, illustrate this tenderness of his
Spirit admirably, in the 3d verse, " A bruised reed shall he not
break, and the smoaking flax shall he not quench :" he shall not
deal roughly or harshly, but gently and mildly ; and yet as little
noise as he shall make, though he shall not seem to promise any
great thing by his privacy of deportment and carriage ; yet, for
all that, in the 4th verse, the Lord, by his prophet, tells us, that
he shall be never the further off from performing the business he
takes in hand: " He shall not fail, nor be discouraged, till he
hath set judgment in the earth."
And then, in the 5th verse, the Lord is pleased to confirm
this, by undeniable arguments, that there shall not be a failing
in Christ to compass this great business ; the arguments, 1 say.
are strong* " Thus saith the Lord, he that created the heavens,
and stretched them out : he that spread forth the earth, and that
that cometn out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people
upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein :" he is not a mean
person that undertakes this thing, but the mighty Lord ; he that
hath done all great things in the world, that have been done
heretofore, it is he that undertakes it ; and therefore, there is no
fear that it should fail.
Having thus discoursed in general, concerning the business of
OF FREE GRACE.
81
Christ in the world, and the manner of managing it ; he comes
again with the same thing, and descends unto particular in-
stances and illustrations of what he delivered before, but gene-
rally: therefore, first. In the beginning of the 6th verse, the
Lord is pleased to shew forth the authority and commission by
which Christ is authorized unto this great business; " I the
Lord (saith the text) have called thee in righteousness :" this
call is the commission of Christ : " No man takes this honour
unto him, but he that is called of God, (saith the apostle) as
Aaron was." That gives authority to a business, to be called of
God. Secondly, He reiterateth the helpfulness of God, as well
as his call unto it, in the following words, " I will hold thy
hand, and keep thee." And so, thirdly, he falls in with an ex-
plication or interpretation. First, How Christ shall compass this
great business which he calls him out unto ; he shall do it thus,
by the Father's " giving of him to be a covenant for people."
Secondly, What Christ is to do, or the end for which he is called
out to be a covenant. Before it was said, " To bring judgment
to the Gentiles ;" that was his business in the end of the
1st verse ; now he expounds what this judgment is, " It is
to open the blind eyes, to bring the prisoners out of pri-
son," &c.
There are two main things in tne text. The first, is. The
way by which Christ compasses the great business of the Father
upon earth, and that is, by being " given to be a covenant to the
people." Secondly, The business itself, whereunto he is called
out, that is, " To open the blind eyes, to bring the prisoners out
of prison." So you see how sweetly these truths hang together.
For the words themselves, there are these particulars con-
siderable in them. First, Who it is that speaks this gracious
language in the text ; you shall find, in the beginning of the
verse, it is the Lord : " Thus saith the Lord, I will call thee,
and give thee for a covenant."
Secondly, We may consider the person to whom this gracious
language is directed and spoken ; and that is unto Christ ; ex-
pressed only in this place by the name oi thee ; " and give thee
for a covenant." Mark here I pray you, it is not, I will give
myself; it should be so, if the Father had spoken to, or of him-
Kp'lf only : but it is plain here are two several persons mentioned,
/and thee ; if there be two several persons, then it cannot bo
82 THE NEW COVENEN'l
God speaking to himself; it must be the Father speaking of his
Son, to Christ.
Yea, but you will say, It is somebody else that speaks, and is
spoken unto.
Nay, but mark in Isa. xlix. where the same expressions are
used, that are in the text ; and then you shall plainly see, it is
the speech of the Father unto Christ, by many circumstances
that will illustrate it. In the 5th verse he begins thus : — " And
now, saith the Lord, that formed me from the womb, to
be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him ;" it is none
but Christ that brings Jacob back : " And you that were
sometimes afar off, hath he made nigh by the blood of Christ."
And in the 6th verse, he saith, " Is it a light thing that thou
shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to
restore the preserved of Israel ?" Who is it that raiseth the
tribes of Jacob, and restores the preserved of Israel 1 None but
Christ, who is the Saviour of all that are saved. Here he begins
to fall upon some of the words in the text itself " I will also
give thee for a light unto the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my
salvation unto the end of the earth." Here it is plain now that
it is only Christ ; for none is the salvation of men unto the end
of the earth, but Christ alone. Again, look in the 8th verse and
you may see more of the words of the text : " Thus saith the
Lord, in an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in the
day of salvation have I helped thee, and I will preserve
thee, and give thee for a covenant to the people." Here you
see likewise, that he who is the Saviour of Israel, is he who is
given for a covenant to the people. And in the 9th verse,
" That thou mayest say to the prisoners, go forth ; and to them
that are in darkness, shew yourselves :" so here is the same
thing delivered more plainly, and Christ more fully expressed.
This I have opened more at large, because all I shall speak will
depend upon the opening of this truth.
Thirdly, In the next place, we are to note, what he speaks
unto Christ here, even gracious language in respect of us. " He
will give him for a covenant."
Fourthly, Note here unto whom the Father gives Christ for a
covenant; the text saith, " Unto the people, and unto the Gen-
tiles ;" that is, X) Jews and to Gentiles, to all sorts of people.
Fifthly, Not/« 'Jie end and purpose for which the Father gives
OF FREE GRACE. 83
inm to be a covenant unto the people; '' To open the blind
eyes, to bring the prisoners out of prison."
So, you have the parts of the text, which afford many excel-
lent truths, and we might single them severally out. But for the
sake of brevity, I will reduce the whole substance of this text
into one proposition.
Doct. " The Father is pleased to give Christ for a covenant
to the people and Gentiles, to open their blind eyes, and to
bring them as prisoners out of prison."
This doctrine, you see, is directly the words of the text, add-
ing only that explication, that it is the Father that doth give
Christ. There is abundance of marrow and fatness in this pre-
sent truth I have delivered unto you, more than people usually
can find out in it. We will endeavour therefore to break the
bone, that all the marrow may be seen, and none of it may be
lost. For this purpose, we must desire you to observe these
following particulars.
I. What it is for Christ to be a covenant^ or, the covenant.
II. What it is for Christ to be given to be a covenant.
III. What it is for Christ to be a covenant to open the blind
eyes.
IV. If time will permit, we will then consider to whom this
Christ is given to be a covenant ; who they are that may par-
take of him, given to be a covenant unto them.
I will begin with the first of these, what it is for Christ to be
a covenant ; and herein will consider two things.
First, What this covenant is, that Christ is unto us. Se-
condly, How Christ himself is said to be this covenant
First, TVliat this covenant is, which Christ is unto persons.
First, A word or two in general concerning the nature of a
covenant. The common and usual manner of covenants, as you
all know, is this ; namely a mutual agreement between parties
upon certain articles, or propositions, propounded on both sides ;
so that each party is bound and tied to fulfil his own conditions,
which if either of them fail in, the other is therefore freed from
his part, and the covenant becomes nullified, void, and frus-
trated. You all know, this is the true nature of a common
covenant.
There are two sorts of covenants generally, wherein Got
enters with men. There are divers particular covenants, but I
o2
84 THE NEW COVENANT
will omit to speak of them ; such as the covenant with David to
establish his throne to himself, and to his posterity ; this the
prophet Jeremy speaks of at large, which I shall only touch upon
and mention, the rather, because some are conceited there was
no other covenant made with David, but the covenant of grace ;
Jer. xxxiii, 20, " Thus saith the Lord, if you can break my
covenant of the day, and my covenant of the night, that there
should not be day nor night in their season ; then also may my
covenant be broken with David my servant, that he should
not have a son to reign upon his throne; and with the Levites,
the priests, my ministers." This covenant is for the establish-
ment of his throne, and this is a different covenant from the
covenant of grace ; tliat is common to all sorts of believers, one
with another ; but I omit that.
There are two main general covenants God enters into with
men ; the one is called the first covenant, the old covenant, the
covenant of works ; it stood upon these terms, " Do this, and
live." The other is called a new covenant, by the prophet Je-
remiah ; and, by the apostle, in Heb. viii., it is called a better
covenant, a covenant of grace. As for the first, the old cove-
nant, the covenant of works, which stood upon these terms,
" Do this, and live," it is very probable, if not certain, that
Christ was this fii-st covenant unto men, even the covenant of
works ; for, however it be not a covenant of grace, as the second
and new covenant is, yet it may, in some sense, be called a
covenant of grace, in reference unto other creatures ; for all
creatures are under this tie, to do this ; that is, what their pai-t is
which God hath imposed upon them ; yet no creature hath this
privilege of grace, that in doing this, he should live : the sun
doth his part, he runs his race ; yet the sun lives not in, or upon
the performance hereof : brute creatures do their part ; that is,
the trade they were set about ; yet they die and perish, and are
no more, when they have done. " What then is man, that thou
art mindful of him, or the son of man, that thou visitest him ?'*
Psalm viii. 4 ; that he should have life, and no other creature in
the world, seeing there can be no difference in the creatures of
themselves ; the difference must be in the grace of God, which
makes it that some creatures should live by doing, and others
not. In Prov. viii. 31, you shall see the ground of this cove-
nant ; when the Lord made all things in the world, Wisdom,
OF FREE GRACE. 85
wliicli is Christ, there tells us, " That she was the delight of the
Father, and her whole delight was with the sons of men :" I say,
the foundation upon which the difference was built, between man
and other creatures, that he hath this covenant by grace, and
others not, is this, " All the delight of Christ was with the sons
of men :" he himself singled out the sons of men to be his de-
light, as he was the delight of the Father ; and for his sake the
Father will do more for them, than for other creatures.
But, now, the covenant which the Lord mentions in this place,
by the prophet, is not the first, but the second covenant ; " I
will give thee for a covenant to the people i'"" he means here, not
the covenant of works, but the covenant of grace ; which cove-
nant is mentioned Jer. xxxi. 33, and renewed again by the
prophet Ezekiel, in chap, xxxvi. 26. And also Heb. viii., where
you shall find both the covenant itself, and how, and in what
sense, Christ is said to be that very covenant unto men. In
verse 6, this is appropriated unto Christ, to be his great pri-
vilege, to have the sole hand and managing of this new cove-
nant : " But now, (saith the apostle,) he hath obtained a more
excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a
better covenant :" and what is this " better covenant ?" Mark
what follows in verse 8, " Behold the days come, saith the Lord,
when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and
with the house of Judah ; not according to the covenant I made
with their fathers :" for in verse 10, " This is the covenant I
will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the
Lord ; I will put my laws into their minds, and write them in
their hearts, and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to
me a people ; and they shall not teach every man his neighbour,
and every man his brother, saying. Know the Lord ; for all shall
know me, from the least to the greatest : for I will be merciful
to their unrighteousness, and their sins and iniquities will I re-
member no more :" here is the substance of the covenant, *' I
will be their God, and they shall be my people."
Now, all that I will note briefly out of all this, shall be only
one proposition, wherein you shall see both a vast and comfort-
able difference between this new covenant, and all other covenants
that God made with men ; it differs, I say, exceedingly, and the
comfort lies in the difference, which is this.
All other covenants of God, besides this, run upon a stipulation j
86 THE NEW COVENANT
and the promise runs altogether upon conditions on both sides ^
the condition on God's part was, they should live ; the condition
on man's part was, that he might live, he must do this : and
mark, the conditions in that covenant were such, that in case
man did fail to perform his condition, the covenant was broke,
and God was free from giving life ; which accordingly came to
pass ; for man failing in doing, the covenant was actually broken,
disannulled, and frustrated, and man lay under the curse of the
breach of the covenant in not doing. But in this covenant of
grace, to wit, the new covenant, it is far otherwise ; there is not
any condition in this covenant : mark what I say, and I beseech
you hear me with an impartial and unprejudiced opinion. I
know I shall go against the strain of some : but, I hope, what I
shall deliver, shall be firmly proved from scripture. I say, the
new covenant is without any conditions whatsoever on man's
part*. Man is tied to no condition that he must perform, which
if he does not perform, the covenant is made void by him.
The first argument is this, The covenant is called an " ever-
lasting covenant ;" and here, in Heb. viii. God saith, " I will be
merciful to your iniquities, and your sins will I remember no
more." Now svippose there were conditions for man to perform,
and suppose man did fail in those conditions, what were become
of the covenant 1 Man did fail in the condition, whilst there were
conditions before in the first covenant, and thereby the covenant
was frustrated. Man is not now so confirmed, but if there were
conditions for him to perform, which if he did not perform, the
covenant should be broken ; I say, he is not so confirmed, but he
might fail in those conditions : nay, if those be the conditions,
that some men conceive, then he daily fails. And, if the co-
* This, though abundantly confirmed by the following arguments, is found fault
with by some, particularly by D. W. in his Gospel Truth, &c. p. .59, and yet is n*
other than what some of the most judicious divines have asserted, particularly the
famous Witsius ; "W^e, (says he in CEconom. Fa;der. lib. 3. chap. 1, sect. 8,) agree
with them, who think, accurately speaking, that the covenant of grace has no condi-
tions on our part, properly so called." And elsewhere, he has these words: " This is
owned, that this is the true and proper condition of the covenant of grace, by which it
is chiefly distinguished from the covenant of works, that all righteousness in which
the right to life is only founded, is performed by the mediator and surety of the cove-
nant ; hence it follows, this righteousness being admitted, that no condition, pro-
perly so called, can be required of the elect, by which they obtain for themselves
freedom from punishment, and a right to life." Animadv. Irenic. chap. 14, sect. 5.
And indeed what some call conditions of the covenant, as faith, repentance, and obe-
dience, are no other than parts or blessings of it, which are absolutely promised in it.
See Ezek. xxxvi. 26, 27, or what the Doctor afterwards calls the fruits and eitecti of
the covenant.
OF FRKE GRACE.
8-/ .
venant stands upon such conditions, the covenant is frustrated,
so soon as the conditions are broken. So, I say, if the covenant
stands upon any conditions to be performed on man's part, it
cannot be an " everlasting covenant," except man was so con-
firmed in righteousness, that he should never fail in that which
is his part.
But, you will say. There are many conditions mentioned in
this covenant ; it is said, that there must be " a law put in the
mind, and written in their heart," with many other such things.
I answer, beloved. It is true, God saith, " I will put my law
in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts," &c. But do
you find in this, or in any other, mention of a covenant, that this
is the condition to be performed on man's part ; I say, that this
is the condition of the covenant, and such a condition, that if a
man perform it not, the covenant is frustrated ? There is no
such thing in the text.
But you will say. Conditions, or no conditions, a man must
have his heart in this manner.
I answer. It is true, by way of consequence, that after we are
m covenant with God, he will bestow these things upon us as
fruits and effects of that covenant ; but, it is not true, by way oi
antecedence, that God doth require these things at our hands,
before we shall be partakers of the covenant.
Arg. 2. Observe, I pray, and you shall plainly perceive, that '
man hath no tie upon him to perform any thing whatsoever in |
the covenant, as a condition that must be observed on his part; j
let the covenant itself be judge in this case : it plainly shews '
where all the tie lies, and as plainly shews, that the whole per-
formance of the covenant lies only upon God himself ; and that -
there is not one bond, or obligation, upon man to the fulfilling j
of the covenant, or partaking of the benefits of it. Mark it in
Jeremiah, in Ezekiel, or in Heb. viii. ; read fhose passages over,
wherein the tenure of the covenant is contained, and you shall
easily see where the tie is, as Heb. viii. 10, " This is the cove-
nant I will make with the house of Israel after those days, I will
put my law into their minds, and write it in their hearts :" he
will put it in, and write it ; " and he will be to them a God, and
they shall be to him a people." The word sJiall, here, is a word
of over-ruling ; it is a word of power ; as if he had said, I will order
it so : it follows, " And they shall not teach every man his neigh-
88 THE NEW COVENANT
bour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord ; foT
they shall all know me :" how, by their own study and industry ?
no ; see John vi. 45, and you shall see that that condition, of
knowing the Lord, is to be performed by the Lord, for it is there
said, " They shall all be taught of God." Observe, also, the
larger expression of the covenant, in Ezek. xxxvi. 25, and there
also, you shall plainly perceive, that still all the tie lies upon
God himself, and nothing at all upon man : " Then will I sprinkle
clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean from all your fihhi-
ness, and from all your idols will I cleanse you: A new heart will
I also give you, and a new spirit will I put within you. And I
will take the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a
heart of flesh : And I will put my Spirit into you, and cause you-
to walk ill my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments and do
them, and shall dwell in the land:" and in vei'Sfr29, " I will save
you from all your uncleanness, and I will multiply the fruit of
the earth, I will do it." Where is there in all this one word that
God says to man, Thou must do this ? If God had putman upott
these things, then they were conditions indeed ; but, when God
takes all upon himself, where are the conditions then on man's part I
Give me leave, I will ask you but this question ; suppose there
should be a fault (I make but a supposition) of performing in this^
covenant, whose were the fault? Must not the fault, or failing;
to perform the covenant, be his, who is tied and bound to every
thing in the covenant, and saith, he will do it? If there-
be a condition, and there should be a failing in the condition,
he that undertakes all things in the covenant must needs be in
fault : but the truth is, these particulars mentioned are not th&
conditions of the covenant, but they are consequents of the co-
venant ; the main substance of the covenant is included in these
words, " I will be their God, and they shall be my people,'*
But, " sprinkling with clean water, taking away a stony heart,,
and giving a heart of flesh ;" all these are nothing but the fruits
of the covenant, which is, that God is the God of such a people,
and the people are the people of such a God. For by virtue of
this union, or uniting himself to his peo^ple, God doth cleanse
and purge, he doth sanctify and refine them. As he becomes
the God of his people, so he purgeth* and cleanseth them. H^
* A.cts XV. 9.
OF FREE GRACE.
S^
iioth not come first to men, and say, make yourselves clean ; get
you the law of God in your minds; get you the fear of God into
your hearts ; get you power to walk in my statutes ; and, when
you do this, then I will be your God: if it did run so, then here
were conditions indeed ; but, it runs not thus; all the tie lies
upon God's part, to do* every thing that is mentioned in the
covenant.
But you will object, and say, if all lies upon God's part, and
man must do nothing, then all his life time he may do what he
list.
I answer, you must make a difference between doing any thing
in reference to the covenant, as the condition thereof, and doing
something in reference to service and duty, to that God who
freely enters into covenant with you. I say only, that in a way
of condition of the covenant you must do nothing,
Arg. 3. Nay, the covenant in the actual substance of it, is
made good to a person befoi-e he can do any thingf. The main
thing in the covenant is God's being the God of a people, and
the model and draught of that, is God's love. The covenant is
nothing but God's love to man ; God's love to give himself to
man ; God's love to take man to himself Now this love of God
is cast upon man before he can do any thing : before the children
had done good or evil, " Jacob have I loved, and Esau have I
hated." Shall I need to tell you, that the covenant is then ful-
filled in the substance of it, when men are actually justified ?
Wlien men are justified, God hath made good his covenant unto
them ; he is their God, and they are his people : now where are
the conditions of this covenant? Take but notice what the
apostle saith, and tell me what conditions you find in it?
Rom. iv, 4, " Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned
of grace, but of debt." " But," saith he, in verse 5, '-' to him
that worketh not, but believethon him that justifies the ungodly,"
&c. There are two phrases hei-e, to shew there can be no con-
ditions to make up the covenant on man's part ; first, " to him
that worketh not ;" if there must be no working to partake of
justification, then there is no conditions unto it. And again,
* Psalm iTii. 2.
f Christ, who is the covenant itself, the sum and substance of it, must be first
given to a man, before he can do any thing good ; for nithout Him we can (to W^
thing ; and faith must be given, mthout which we cannot please God.
90 THE NEW COVENANT
if we must " believe on him that justifies the ungodly," then jus-
tification is past over to a person whilst he is ungodly : now,
where is the condition of the covenant, while there remains no-
thing but ungodliness in men ? But if these things must be ful-
filled as conditions, namely, to change our hearts, and such like ;
then we are not justified as ungodly, but as righteous ; and so it
directly contradicts that of the apostle. We must therefore con-
clude, that this covenant, which is then made good when a per-
son is justified, is conferred and bestowed on him, before there
can be any such thing as a condition in him.
Yea, but you will say to me, peradventure though works be
not the condition of the covenant; yet, we hope you will yield,
iaith is the condition of the covenant.
I answer, beloved, I beseech you observe me warily in this,
for I am now upon a nice point, and I shall desire to go as
evenly as the scripture will guide me in it. I must needs tell
you directly, and according to the truth, that, faith is not the
condition of the covenant*.
" He that believes shall be saved, he that believes not shall
be damned." Is not faith here the condition of the covenant ?
I answer, There is no person under heaven shall be saved till
he have believed. This I grant ; yet this will not make faith to
be the condition of the covenant. For, first, consider faith as
an act, our act, and as we do it, so I say it is a work ; our act of
believing is a work. If therefore we perform the condition that
is a work for the enjoyment of the covenant, then the covenant
doth depend upon a work; but it doth not depend upon a
• This also is condemned as an error, by D. W. Gospel Truth, &c. p. 57 ; but it
is with great propriety and truth here asserted; for faith is the fruit of electing grace,
the gift of God, the operation of his Spirit, and of which Christ is the author and
finisher ; and is not of men, or in their power to produce in themselves, or exercise ;
yea, it is a blessing of the covenant of grace, and not a condition of it ; or is what
men have in consequej.ee of their being in the covenant, and not as the condition of
their entrance into it. And the same is acknowledged by great many divines, parti-
cularly that excellent writer, often quoted, Professor Witsius : " The covenant of
grace," says he, or the Gospel strictly so called, which is the formula of the covenant,
seeing it consists in mere promises, properly prescribes nothing as a duty ; it requires
nothing, it commands nothing, no not indeed, believe, trust, hope in the Lord, and
the like." — OSconom. Faeder. 1. 3. c. 1. s. 18. And again, " Nor does that seem to
be accurately said, th^t faith is a condition which the law requires of us, that we
may be accounted righteous and guiltless with God. The condition of justification,
properly speaking, is no other than perfect obedience ; this the law requires, nor does
the gospel substitute another, but teaches that the law is satisfied by our surety Christ ;
moreover, it is the business of faith to accept of the satisfaction offered to it, and, by
accepting, to make it its own." lb. c. 6. sect. 52,
OF FREE GRACE. 91
work, for the text saith, " To him that worketh not, but be-
lieveth on him that justifieth the ungodly," &c.
You will say, In that text, believing is required to the justi-
fying of the ungodly.
I answer. An ungodly person, after he is justified, believes :
but you must understand it, it is not the faith of the man that
simply and properly justifies, but it is that Christ in whom he
believes ; believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly : it is he
that justifieth, that is Christ. It is not believing that justi-
fies. Mark well that phrase ; him that justifieth. Justification
is an act of Christ, it is not an act of faith.
But you will say, It is an act of Christ by faith.
1 answer, Then Christ justifies not alone. Is faith Christ
himself? If not, then Christ must have a partner to justify, or
else faith doth not justify, but Christ alone doth it. Nay, I say
more, Christ justifies a person before he believes ; for, he that
believes is justified before he believes ; for I ask you, whether
in justification a man must believe a truth or a falsehood ? You
will say, he must believe a truth; then say I, it is a truth that
he is justified before he believes it ; he cannot believe that which
is not, and if he be not justified, that he may believe it, he then
believes that which is false. But he is first justified before he
believes, then he believes that he is justified*.
But what then serves faith for ?
I answer. It serves for the manifestation of that justification
which Christ puts upon a person by himself alone : that you by
believing on him, may have the declaration, and manifestation
of your justificationf. Mark what the apostle saith, whereby
* Justification before faith, though cavilled at by many, is certain; since God jus-
tifies the ungodly, and since faith is the fruit and effect of justification, and the act
which is conversant about it, and the object must be before the act ; and besides jus-
tification took place at the resurrection of Christ ; yea, from all eternity, as soon as he
became the surety of his people ; and which has been embraced, aflSrmed, and de-
fended by Divines of the gjreatest note for orthodoxy and piety, as Twisse, Pemble,
Parker, Goodwin, Ames, Witsius, Maccovius, and others. See my Doctrine of Jus-
tification, p. 36, 37, 38, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 50, 54.
t And, indeed, for what else can it sene; since it is neither the cause, nor matter,
nor condition of justification ? at most it can only serve as the hand that receives the
righteousness of Christ for justification, and claims an interest in it, and takes the
comfort of it : nor does the Doctor say, it serves only for a manifestation, but that it
does serve such an end ; as it is certain it does, as has been owned by many judicious
Divines ; and particularly the learned Hoornbeeck thinks, that the difference between
Dr. Crisp, and others, may easily be made up, by distinguishing justification into
active and passive; the former is the act of God justifying, the latter the termination
and application of it to the conscience of believers ; the one is done at Christ's satis-
92 THE NEW COVENANT
you shall find the true use of faith, that is not the condition,
without which we receive no benefit from Christ ; but rather it
is the manifestation of that which is already done, and received.
Heb. xi. 1, the apostle saith, " Faith is the ground of things
hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen." I pray you
observe the apostle's expression, there is abundance of light in
it. Faith is the evidence of things, it is not the being of things;
and it is the evidence of things not seen. A man is justified,
and that by Christ alone, but it is not known to him, it is an un-
seen thing. Well, how shall he see this, and know that it is
so ? The text saith " Faith is an evidence ;" faith gives evi-
dence to this thing, faith makes it known ; by faith we come to
apprehend it; by faith we come to rejoice in it, as we appre-
hend it to be our own. It is true, indeed, Christ has honoured
faith admirably ; but let us take heed we do not over-honour it,
to give the peculiar reserved prerogative of Christ himself unto
it : if faith were a concurrent thing with Christ, and Christ did
justify a person alone, what would follow 1 Consider, when a
man is justified, he is justified from all unrighteousness, and ..
his faith justifies him from all unrighteousness, this thing will
unavoidably follow ; that that thing which is full of unrighteous-
ness will justify a man from unrighteousness ; as much as to sav,
a man is justified from sin by sin.
But you will say. Faith is not sin.
I answer. No, faith itself is not sin : but that faith acted by
believers is full of sin ; and the fulness of sin in it, makes faith in
some sense, a sinful faith : and if it be sinful, how can that
which is sinful justify man from sinfulness? What need Christ
be without all sin to justify a person, if any thing else could do
it that hath sinfulness in it 1 You must either say, there is no
sin in your faith, or else you must say, you are justified by that
which hath sin in it ; yet, I say still, as faith is an evidence, a
faction, the other when a person actually believes ; " this indeed is a manifestation of
that." Summa Controv. 1. 10. p. 70.5. And afterwards he says, " We do not re-
ject the distinction between justification as made in Christ and as manifested to the
soul, though in the explication of it, we do not in all things agree." p. 720. And it
is the former, and not the latter, that is properly justification, as Maccovius observes,
" It is said of God that he justifies, Rom. iv. 5, and of us that we are justified, ch. 5.
not that there is therefore a twofold justification ; for that which is passive is impro-
perly called justification, and is only the sense of active justification." Vide irpurev
V«i/5ts, Arminian, c. 10. p. 120. And what then is this passive justification, which is
by faith, any more than a perception, evidence, and manifestation, of what is properly
iustification ?
OF FREE GRACE.
ii»j»nifusfation, so it may be said to be our justification : that we
are, in regard of our own hearts, and our own spirits, justified
by faith ; but God-ward, as we stand actually before him, a dis-
charged people from sin, and so consequently partakers of the
covenant ; as we stand thus, I say, it is not faith that justifies,
neither wholly, nor in part ; but Christ alone freely for his own
sake, considering a person as ungodly, so he justifies him.
Beloved, let me tell you, though faith itself cannot thus be
called our righteousness ; yet in respect of the glory that God
ascribes to it, that it seals to men's souls the fulness of righte-
ousness, how can you consider a person a believer, and withal
ungodly ? When men are believers, they cease to be ungodly:
but if they are not justified till they believe, Christ doth not jus-
tify the ungodly, but the godly ; and then that truth which I
have delivered, Rom. iv. 5, cannot hold current, " That we
must believe on him that justifies the ungodly ;" but rather, we
must believe on him that justifies the righteous. But, as I said,
we do not believe that we may be justified ; but we do believe,
and truly believe, when we are, and because we are justified.
So that still it stands firm, we are not justified, we are not in
covenant, we partake not of the covenant, by any condition we
perform, till which performance the covenant cannot be made
good unto us ; but we are in covenant, and Christ makes us to
be in covenant, for his own sake, without any condition in the
creature, " Shewing mercy to whom he will shew mercy;" with-
out any thing, I say, the creature is to do, to this end, to partake
of the covenant.
In the next place consider, how Christ himself can be said to
be the covenant. For the text tells us, that he doth not only
give Christ that there may be a covenant with men ; but, saith
he, " I will give thee for a covenant :" he himself is made the
covenant. I answer, Christ is the covenant three ways. First,
He is the covenant fundamentally. Secondly, He is the cove-
nant materially. Thirdly, He is the covenant equivalently.
First, Christ is the covenant fundamentally ; that is, he is the
original of the covenant, the beginning of tKe covenant. The
covenant of grace takes its being from Christ. Adam was all
mankind, as all mankind was in Adam, in the loins of Adam :
so Christ is the covenant, and all the covenant is, as it were, in
the loins of Christ, and springs out of him : he is the covenant"
94 THE NEW COVENANT
maker; be is the covenant-unclei-taker ; he is the covenant-wa-
nager; he orders the covenant; he is the covenant-dispatcher;
he doth every thing in the covenant; he makes the articles; he
dravv's God the Father, and man, to an agreement unto the arti-
cles; " Thy people shall be a vs^illing people in the day of thy
power," Psalm ex. 3. " And God is in Christ reconciling the
world* unto himself, 2 Cor. v. 19. Christ brings God down to
* the terms of the covenant, to yield to them. Christ brings man
also to be willing to it. Heb. viii. 6, Christ is called " The Me-
diator of a covenant." A mediator, what is that 1 A mediator
of a covenant, is the person that hath the management of it on
both sides. A covenant is no covenant till it be concluded, and
done : there may be articles, but it is not actually a covenant till
both sides are agreed : so there cannot be a mediator of a cove-
nant, till there be one that is able to bring both sides together,
and make up a conclusion. And thus Christ is the covenant, or
the mediator of the covenant, as he manageth all things in it.
Job hath an excellent expression, to shew forth the soleness of
Christ to deal in the covenant between God and men ; he makes
a bitter complaint and pitiful lamentation ; he knew not how to
deal with God, and gives this as a reason of it, (Job ix. 32, 33,)
*' For he is not a man as I am, that I should answer him, and we
should come together in judgment ; neither is there any day's-
man betwixt us, that might lay his hand upon us both." A
day's-man ; it is Christ that is this day's-man ; it is all one with
an umpire, or a mediator : he must come between, and lay his
hand upon us both : what is that 1 upon God and us : the mean-
ing is, he that is the day's-man, the mediator, must be such a
person that hath power on both parties that enter into covenant
together : he must lay his hand upon God ; that is, he must have
power with God, and bring God to such terms as he propounds ;
and lay his hand upon man, to bring man on; and when he lays
his hand upon both, then he is a mediator of the covenant. And,
in this sense, Christ is a covenant, as he hath the managing and
* By whom are meant, not all the individuals of mankind, for these are not all in
Christ, nor all reconciled to God, multitudes dying in enmity to him, nor all inte-
rested in the blessing of non-imputation of sin : whereas each of these is said of the
world here : but the elect of God, who are chosen in Christ, whose peace Christ is,
whose sins are not imputed to them, and against whom no charge of any avail can bo
laid, and particularly the people of God among the Gentiles are here designed, ^ho
are frequently called the world in icripture-, being the world which God loved, foi
whose sins Christ is the propitiation, and of the reconciling of which mention i» p«r«
ticularly made, John iii. 16 ; 1 John ii. is ; Rom. xi. 12, 15.
OF FREE GRACE. 95
dispatching of all the business of the covenant, from the first to
the last.
Secondly, As Christ is fundamentally, so he is materially, the
covenant; Christ himself is the covenant, as he is Christ. This
seems strange ; but there is an admirable wisdom of God to be
adored in this thing : the covenant substantially stands in this ;
* I will be their God, and they shall be my people." Now
Christ he is both these in himself; he is God unto his people,
and he is the people unto God, and before him. Both these
meet in that one Christ, and are both of them admirably illus-
trated to us. Matt. i. 23, where, upon the birth of Christ, the
angel saith, " They shall call his name Immanuel ; which, being
interpreted, is God with us :" Christ is, " God with us," not
only as Christ's Godhead did take the human nature simply;
but Christ is " God with us," that is, Christ is so ordered by
the Father for men, that the Father may see the deity and hu-
manity made up in one, to wit, Christ's person ; and so, conse-
quently, all the people, that are the people of God, are consi-
dered in Christ, as part of him : for Christ is considered two
ways, either as he consists of the Godhead, and one individual
liuman nature ; or, as he consists of that and a compact of many
persons considered as members of Christ's mystical body : so
Christ is the head, and all those that are in covenant with him,
are members ; and this head and members together make up one
complete and entire body. Consider Christ thus, and then you
shall see in him God, the God of his people, and men the people
of God, and both these meet together only in Christ.
Christ, in a very few words, doth very excellently set forth this
his own being, materially, the covenant, John xvii. 22, 23,
" And the glory thou gavest me, I have given them; that they
may be one, as we are one." Here, first, he speaks of unity
among themselves, as members have unity in one body : then he
goes further in the next verse, " I in them, and thou in me, that
they may be made perfect in one ;" as much as to say thus ; I,
as I have assumed humanity, and besides the humanity, have as-
sumed the members of my mystical body, so I am in them, and
they in me ; and by this my being one with them, and they one
with me, they become one with us both ; so, God to be the God
of his people, and the people to be the people of God, meet both
PB THE NEW COVENANT
in this one Christ, God and man ; Christ as head unltedi to u'di
members, and they as members in covenant with him.
Thirdly, Christ himself is said to be the covenant equivalently :
I mean thus, Though the main substance of the covenant be ful-
filled to believers as soon as they are justified, that is, while they
are ungodly ; yet there are particular branches, or rather fruits
of the covenant, to be fulfilled to believers in their season : to
have God more abundantly pouring out himself in all manner of
graciousness, this is to be fulfilled in season. Now, Christ is
said to be the covenant, as a present pawn, or earnest, delivered
into the hands of a person, at the very instant of his justification ;
which pawn, is of equal value and worth with the whole cove-
nant, when it is fulfilled to the uttermost; so, Christ being given
over to men, as a pawn and earnest, they have, at the first in-
stant, the whole covenant equivalently. If a man deliver money
to another, and he receives a pawn worth the money, then he
hath the money in his hand, though not in specie, yet in value,
he hath as much as the money is worth ; and so, by consequence,
it is as much as if he had the money itself, Christ, delivered
over in justification, is of equal value with all tliat is to be ful-
filled, when the covenant is fulfilled to the uttermost. He being
of equal value, it follows, that Christ is the covenant by estima-
tion, though not in respect of the accomplishment and fulfilling
of the several fruits.
Thus I have done with the first branch : this I desired to clear
more fully ; because I find the world is marvelously puzzled with
the mixture of other things besides Christ in the covenant : we
will go a little further this morning, because I would dispatch
that I intend, and would not willingly leave any thing, not know-
ing when, or whether ever I shall see your faces agaim I will
therefore enter upon the next thing of great concernment : I hope
there hath been no mistake of what I have spoken, and then I
know the truth of it will justify itself against all contradiction.
II. The second thing is, what is it for Christ to be given for a
covenant 1 I answer. All that benefit that Christ is, or all that
Christ can be to a person, is a mere deed of gift ; and it comes
only as a very true and real gift unto men, upon no other consi-
deration, but simply the Father's good will *, to make a gift of
• Isaiah Ixv. I
OF FREE GRACE &l
it; this dependeth necessarily upon what we sKewed before. If
that which we have hitherto spoken be not true, this cannot be
true ; if the covenant be with condition, and the condition to be
performed for the covenant ; then certainly Christ is not a mere
gift. That which a man buys or pays for, he makes a reckoning
of it as due debt : he cannot make a reckoning of it as a gift :
but you see it plainly in the text, that Christ is given to be a
covenant ; Christ is not bought to be a covenant, he is not paid
for. Covenants between men I know are thus, if a man has a
house or land to sell, there are articles drawn up and agreed
upon ; and he that must have the land, must pay for it : it is not
so in this covenant; but it is as in covenants that are deeds of
gifts, which Tun thus, I will freely bestow this upon you : so God
bestows his Christ freely, passing him over to men, without any
thing from 4hem in consideration of this Christ which is bestowed.
And this imports two things ; I say, that Christ is a gift, imports
tvfo things.
First, That in the participation of Christ, God requires nothing
of man ; he expects nothing from man in consideration of thai
Christ he bestows upon him. I say, he requires nothing, he
expects nothing, he will take nothing ; nay, he will not give
Christ unto men, except they will take him freely, without bring .
mg any thing for him.
Secondly, This gift, Chri&t, being given unto men, imports
that there is no vileness, no sinfulness, no kind of wretchedness
of man, that can be any bar to man from having a full part and
portion in this Christ : a gift implies them both. I shall open
them both, as clear as may be.
First, I say, Christ is conveyed unto men as a gift ; without
the Father's requiring any thing of them, or expecting any thine
from tiiem ; but only barring them from bringing, or thinking to
bring, any thing to this end, that they may have a part or share
in Christ.
I shall first declare, and make clear, that it is directly contrary
to the nature of a gift (considered really as a gift) to require, or
expect any thing in consideration of that which is given. When
things are passed over to a man upon consideration, either they
are passed over by bargain and sale, or else by way of bribe.
When a man desires his cause may go well in a suit of law, he
will give the judge something ; but the consideration must be,
H
98 THE NEW COVENANT
that the judge shall carry the cause on hisj side ; this that the
judge receives, is not a gift, but a bribe, because something must
be done for it. When a man must have such and such lands, or
such and such goods, and there is a contract, you must give me
so much money, and you shall have them ; these lands and goods
are not gifts, when money must be paid for them.
If we must bring any thing to the Father in consideration of
Christ the covenant, then here is a bargain and sale between the
Father and us ; I will give you my Christ, but you must bring
me works, to wit, broken, and clean, and changed hearts, and the
like : this is a mere bargain and sale. In Rom. iv. 4, you shall
find plainly and clearly, how the apostle directly overthrows the
being of a gift upon this supposition ; if it could be received,
that a man must bring any thing to his justification, he plainly
affirms, a gift ceaseth to be a gift when any such thing comes in ;
*' Now to him that worketh, is the reward reckoned not of grace,
but of debt :" mark, I pray you, well, " to him that worketh :"
that is, would you bring your humiliations, your prayers, as con-
ditions that God may perform his covenant ? Do you bring any
thing in the world, and work any inherent righteousness ? Then
saith the apostle, the reward, that is, the accomplishment of the
covenant, is not reckoned of grace ; if you bring works, the gift
ceaseth to be a gift, it must be reckoned to be a debt. Either
then you must lay down all works, and let them cease in the
business of partaking of Christ, or else you must conclude you
must not receive Christ of grace, but of debt : and the apostle
doth make it more clear, Rom. xi. 6, " And if by grace, (that
is, by gift, for grace and gift, you must understand, are all one :
grace is nothing but the favour of God freely, and of his own
accord communicated ; And if by grace) then it is no more of
works ; otherwise grace is no more grace : but if it be of worKS^
then it is no more grace, otherwise work is no more work." If
you bring grace unto works, or works unto grace ; either the
one, or the other, or both, are made void : as much as to say,
these two things are inconsistent, they cannot stand together, that we
should partake of Christ through grace and works both ; they
will not stand together : grace must stand alone, or works alone ;
for one directly overthrows the other.
And, beloved, to speak freely to you of these work-mongers,
these buyers of Christ, that would bring something with them to
OF FREE GHACE.
m
partalse of Christ ; what would they bring ? They say they will
bring a good heart, or a changed life. I ask, what prize is this
vou bring ? Do you bring any thing of your own, or that which
IS God's already 1 Suppose your hearts be never so purged and
cleansed ; what bring you to God ? You bring that which already
is his own ; as much as to say, a man owes another a thousand
pounds, and he will come and bring him this thousand pounds,
for lands worth fifty pounds by the year. No, he must bring a
thousand pounds more, if he will purchase the land: even so it is
for a person to bring works for Christ, which works thou owest
unto God already ; no, first pay thy debt which thou owest, and
then if thou hast any more, bring that unto God to purchase
Christ withal. But alas, when you have done all, you are un-
profitable servants ; for all you have done is not yours, it was due
from you before ; how then can any thing you do be a considera-
tion to purchase Christ withal ?
Moreover, you that will bring works, and, in consideration of
them, expect a part in Christ ; what are the works you bring ?
A whip you shall have as soon as a Christ, in regard of your
wrorks : Oh, the filthiness of all the works of men, as they work
them! There is nothing but filthiness in them; "Yea, (saith
Paul) I count all things dung, that I may be found in him, not
having my own righteousness:" therefore, as it is most pre-
sumptuous pride in men, so it is the grossest ignorance that can
be, to dream of any thing that they have, do, or can do, in the
partaking of Christ ; they directly overthrow the nature of a gift:
hast thou but one thought once, that God will accept thee in
Christ, upon consideration that thou hast performed thus and
thus ; this very thought directly destroys Christ, considered as a
gift : for if he be a gift, then he comes witliout any consideration
whatsoever.
H«
SERMON VIL
IHE NEW COVENANT OF FREt GRACE.
ISAIAH xlii. 6, 7.
AND I WILL GIVE THEE FOR A COVENANT OF THE PEOPLE,
FOR A LIGHT OF THE GENTILES, TO OPEN THE BLIND EVES,
TO BRING OUT THE PRISONERS FROM THE PRISON, AND
THEM THAT SIT IN DARKNESS OUT OF THE PRISON-HOUSE.
In the next place, as it is against the nature of a gift, so God
doth not expect, nor will accept of any thing from men in consi-
deration of Christ : and, for this, the scriptures are plain and
clear, that the Father expects nothing in the world of men ; no
one qualification or spiritual disposition, oefore, or upon the com-
municating of his Son Christ unto men : I will but name some
few passages to clear this to you, tliat I may not seem to come in
my ovm name, in this that I have delivered.
Consider, among other passages, that in Isa. Iv. 1, it is plain
there, you may see, that God looks for nothing in *-he world of
men ; be they what they will, be they in the worst condition, no
matterwhat it is, they are the men to whom Christ offers himself;
** Ho, every one that thirsteth," (saith Christ) that is, every one
that hath but a mind to come to him, every one that would take
him, may have him : " Ho, every one that thirsteth, come to the
waters ; and he that hath no money, come ye, buy, and eat ; yea,
come, buy wine and milk without money, and without price."
" Wherefore do ye spend your money for that which is not bread?
and your labour for that which satisfieth not ?" " Hearken di-
ligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your sou
delight itself in fatness." Eat, but not buy ; for it is said, " Bur
without money ;" you may eat without price, and that which yo&
fhall eat is fatness. Mark what follows, " Incline your ear, ana
OP FREE GRACE. 101
come unto me ; hear, and your souls shall live ; and I will make an
everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David :'*
here you see the covenant mentioned. But what doth God re-
quire here in the covenant 1 No money, no price ; the covenant
runs all upon mercy ; it is an everlasting covenant indeed, and
an everlasting covenant of mercy. Now mercy is the doing a
thing only and merely of gift : if a man will forgive a debtor,
and ask nothing of him, then he is a merciful man : so far as
men give, so far are they merciful ; so far as they sell, there is
no mercy in that. But here is neither money, nor price, nor any
thing* at all in consideration of the covenant.
Likewise, in Hosea, xiv. 4, God saith by the prophet, " I will
heal their backslidings, I will love them freely, for mine anger
is turned away from them :" he will love you freely, that is the
term : he will ask nothing for that good he will do unto you, it
shall be freely ; and what is more free than gift ?
Look also into that notable place, worthy of all consideration,
Eph. ii. where the apostle speaks most admirably sweetly to this
point, of giving and communicating Christ, and all that is
Christ's, unto men, merely of grace, merely of gift, without con-
sideration of any thing in the world ; and there you have the
reason, why God will do it merely of gift, and upon no other
ground or cause at all, (in verse 4,) saying, " But God, who is
rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us ;" (here
is the great principle that gives being to all that follows) " even
when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with
Christ" (by grace ye are saved) Mark what follows, " and hath
raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly
places in Christ Jesus : that, in ages to come, he might show the
exceeding riches of his grace, in his kindness towards us through
Christ Jesus : for by grace are ye saved, through faith, and that
not of yourselves, it is the gift of God ; not of works, lest any
man should boast." Here you see how notably the apostle
takes off all things in the world, whereby man may imagine to
move God to shew kindness, and give his Christ unto them ; and
attributes all to the riches of God's grace, because of that " love
wherewith he loved us." Hence it is that he bestows Christ by
grace ; " and by this grace are we saved, and that not of our-
selves, not of our works, lest any should boast."
* Luke vii. 42.
log THE NEW COVENANT
1 will not recite many places : one more, and then I have done
with this. Look into the last of the Revelations, you shall see
Christ is so a gift passed over unto men, that God looks for,
asks, requires nothing of men to their partaking of him r in verse
17, " Let him that is athirst come, and whoso will, let him
come, and take the water of life freely." No matter for bring-
ino- of any thing with you ; have you a mind to him ? take him
freely, God scorns to make a sale of his Son. If men take him
as a deed of gift, well and good ; if they will have him upon
other terms, God never means to part with him. I tell you,
could you bring angelical perfection and obedience, and present
that unto the Father as a motive to him to bestow his Christ
upon you ; if you dare offer the perfectest righteousness in the
world for Christ; I say, you shall be accursed for it. " If we,
(saith the apostle), Gal. i. 8,) or an angel from heaven, preach
any other gospel unto you, than that we have preached unto
you;" any other gospel, than salvation, and participation of
Christ, by grace and free gift (for that is the doctrine he had es-
tablished before, and, through the whole epistle to the Galatians,
doth maintain) " let such person be accursed," saith Paul. And,
concerning those that will preach any other doctrine, or will es-
tablish any righteousness of man, and pervert the people of God
from the sincerity of the doctrine and gospel they have received ;
the apostle is so eager against them, that he breaks out into this
expression, " I would they were even cut off, which trouble
you," in the same epistle, chap. v. 12, and upon the self-same
ground we have in hand, he thus expresses himself; and, why ?
because they overthrew the great intent of the Lord, and those
great thoughts he hath of himself; namely, that the world may
see what a God of grace he is. If a man comes with works
towards the enjoyment of Christ, he overthrows the grace of God,
and frustrates the great end for which God sent Christ into the
world : for as you see it plainly there in the epistle to the Ephe-
sians, the place before mentioned, the Lord therefore comes to
give Christ, to set forth " the praise of the glory of his free
grace "
Secondly, This Gift (Christ I mean) given as a covenant,
imports unto you, that as the Father looks for nothing in men
to partake of Christ, so also it doth imply, there is nothing in
men, though never so vile, that can debar a person from a part
OF FREE GRACE. 103
in this Christ. Some will not have Christ, except they can pay
foi" him ; others dare not meddle with Christ, because they are so
vile and wretched creatures, that they think it impossible that
Christ should belong to such wretched persons as they are. You
know not (saith one) what an abominable sinner I am ; you look
upon others, but their sins are but ordinary ; but mine are of a
deep dye, and I shall die in them : the rebellion of my heart, is
another kind of rebellion than is in others.
Beloved, let me tell you freely from the Lord ; let men deem
you as they will, and make yourself as bad as you can, I tell
you, from the Lord, and I will make it good, there is not that
sinfulness that can be imagined in a creature, that can be able
to separate or debar any of you from a part in Christ; even
while you are thus sinful, Christ ma-y be your Christ. Nay, I
go further; suppose one person, in this congregation, should
not only be the vilest sinner in the world, but should have all the
sins of others, besides what he himself hath committed; if all
these were laid upon the back of him, he should be a greater sin-
ner than now he is ; yet, if he should bear all the sins of others,
as I said, there is no bar to this person, but Christ m.ay be his
portion ; " He bore the sins of many," (saith the text) but he
bare them not as his own, he bare them for many. Suppose the
many, that are sinners, should have all their sins translated to
one in particular ; still there is no more sin than Christ died for,
though they be all collected together. If other men's sins were
translated upon you, and they had none, then they needed no
Christ ; all the need they have of Christ, were translated to you,
and then the whole of Christ's obedience should be yours.
Do but observe the strain of the gospel, you shall find that no
sin in the world can be a bar to hinder a person from having a
part in this Christ that is given : look upon the condition of per-
sons (as they are revealed in the gospel) to whom Christ is
reached out : and the consideration of their persons will plainly
shew to you, that there is no kind of sinfulness can bar a person
from having a part in Christ.
Look into Ezek. xvi, quite through ; the person is there consi-
dered in a state of blood, of menstruousness, of vileness, and
greatest filthiness that can be supposed; and when "no eye
could pity" such a person, " or do any good to him; I passed by
thee, (saith Christ) thy time was the time of love I sware unto
104 THE NKW COVENANT
thee, I entered into covenant with thee, and thou becamest
mine." Construe this in a spiritual sense, conceive of a spi-
ritual estate of filth, proportionable to a natural estate of filth.
That very time of the vilest of our spiritual filthiness, is tl>e time
of Christ's love when he enters into covenant. Yea, but sure
the case is altered, before Christ actually swears. No; "then
washed I thee with water ; yea, 1 thoroughly washed away thy
blood." When ? even then when " I sware unto thee, and en-
tered into covenant with thee, and thou becamest mine." First,
he did sware, and then he did wash them : and not wash them,
and then sware unto them, and enter into covenant with them.
First, " I entered into covenant with thee, then washed I thee*
with water, and then put I jewels upon thee," &c. The first
thing he doth, is, he enters into covenant, and the people become
his people, and then he takes them in hand, and washeth and
purgeth them, and not before.
Consider Christ's own expression, " I came to seek, and to
save that which was lost : I came not to call the righteous, but
sinners to repentance; the whole need not a physician, but they
that are sick :" here still the persons are considered in the worst
condition, (as some might think) rather than in the best. Our
Saviour is pleased to express himself in a direct contrary Avay
to the opinion of men, " I came not to call the righteous, but
sinners :" the poor publican that had nothing to plead for him-
self went away more justified than the proud pharisee that
pleaded with God ; " I thank thee that I am not such an one."
Men think righteousness brings them near to Christ : beloved,
righteousness is that which puts a man away from Christ *: stum-
ble not at the expression, it is the clear truth of the gospel f: not
simply a doing of service and duty, doth put away from Christ ;
but upon the doing of duty and service, to expect acceptance
with Christ, or participation in Christ, this kind of righteousness
is the only separation between Christ and a people ; and whereas
•JO sinfulness in the world can debar a people, their righteous-
ness may debar them.
I need not tell you, what I have so often mentioned, that there
♦ When it is trusted to, and depended upon, and put in the room of Christ and,
hi« righteousness ; or when it is brought to fit a man for Christ, and give him a rf/?Ii|
^nd rlaia: to him, and his banefits.
t M»tt, V. 20,.
OF FREE GRACE. 105
must be a believing in him that justifies the ungodly, Rom. ir.
what can you look for of an ungodly person ? If there can be
any bar in the world to hinder a man from taking Christ, you
would think it should be ungodliness ; it is the ground of most,
and all men's fears. But if the term ungodliness be not bad
enough, consider, Christ goes further, even unto rebellion ; he
hath received gifts for the rebellious, Psalm Ixviii. 18, " Thou
hast ascended on high, and led captivity captive, thou hast re-
ceived gifts for men, yea, for the rebellious also, that the Lord
God might dwell among them."
But some may be ready to say to me. Though God be never
so free in giving Christ unto men ; yet they may never have a
part in him, except they have hands to take, and receive him,
I answer, I beseech you consider, and I answer peremptorily,
that though men have no hands to take Christ, yet may they re-
ceive him. I will clear this a little to you, first by illustration,
or by way of similitude : a poor indigent person is speechless, he
hath never a tongue ; he is handless, he hath never a hand : he
cannot ask with the tongue, he cannot take with the hand ; if
you have a mind to give, I ask, can you not give to such a per-
son, because he hath not a tongue to speak, nor a hand to take ?
you may behold, and see the pitiful case of such a man, and
your compassions may be stirred in you ; and whereas he cannot
put a garment upon his own naked back, yet you may provide
raiment, and put it upon his back with your hands, as well as if
he had put it on himself: and thus God deals in bestowing
Christ upon men ; we are dumb, and cannot speak, " We know
not what to ask as we ought," saith the apostle, Rom. viii. 26, but
God being rich in compassion, he beholds our miserableness ;
his own bowels stir him up *. Although there be no language
in the creature to move him ; yet out of these bowels of his, he
will shew pity and meicy to us, and reach out his Christ, to those
that have no hands to receive him, no faith to believe in him.
It is the Lord put this Christ on the back of those persons f on
whom he hath pity and compassion. I say, that although we
have no hand, yet the Lord puts this his Christ upon us ; it is
not we that put him on, but the Lord that puts him upon us.
Secondly, To resolve the case more fully and clearly, observe
U distinction very needful to be observed and considered : there
* Zcch. ix. 11. t Isaiah Ixi. 10.
100 THE NEW COVENANT
is a twofold receiving of Christ ; there is, first, a passive reci-
piency ; secondly, there is an active recipiency*.
First, There is a passive receiving of Christ, and that is, so
that Christ is received without any hands ; but in an active re-
ceiving of him, he is not received without hands : you will say,
what is this passive receiving of Christ ? I answer, a passive re-
ceiving of Christ, is just such a receiving of him, as when a fro-
ward patient takes a purge, or some bitter physic ; he shuts his
teeth against it, but the physician forceth his mouth open, and
pours it down his throat, and so it works against his will f , by the
over-ruling power of one over him, that knows it is good for him.
Thus I say, there is a passive recipiency, or receiving of Christ,
which is the first receiving of him ; when Christ comes by the
gift of the Father to a person, whilst he is in the stubbornness of
his own heart, being froward and cross ; and the Father forces
open the spirit of that man, and pours in his Son in spite of the
receiver;!^.
There is such a kind of recipiency mentioned in scripture,
Jerem. xxxi. 18, 19, " I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning
himself thus, Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, as a
bullock unaccustomed to the yoke ; turn thou me, and I shall be
turned, thou art the Lord my God. Surely after that I was
turned, I repented : and after that I was instructed, I smote upon
my thigh : I was ashamed, yea, even confounded." Mark how
Ephraim (who is the representative of the church) stands affected
and disposed ; when God comes first to tame and break the spirit
of Ephraim, God is fain to get upon Ephraim, as an horse-rider
is fain to get upon an unruly horse, that was never broken ; he
must fetter him upon all four, that he may stand still before he
* And an excellent distinction it is ; the learned Hoornbeeck talces notice of it, and
has these words concerning it; " Neither do we reject some distinctions of theirs (£. e.
Dr. Crisp, and others, called Antinomians) as of the reception of Christ, primum pas-
sivaj, tnm activae, first passive, then active." — Summa Controv. cap. 10. p. 720.
t John. iv. 16, 17, 18.
J This is to he understood of the state and condition, in which a man is, when God
comes first to work upon him, in which he is passive ; and the simile made use of, of
a physician forcing a man's mouth open, and pouring physic against his will, is intended
to illustrate, and does illustrate, the enmity and rebellion of the heart of man against
Christ and his grace ; and shews how disagreeable, to the carnal mind, are the methods
which God takes when he first works upon it, either by afflictive providences, or by
letting the law into the conscience, which works wrath there ; and not, as D. W. sug-
gests, in his Gospel Truth, &c. p. 101, as if men were said to receive Christ against
their wills : for, as the Doctor after observes, when Christ has entered into the soul,
and has revealed himself, and shewn it his excellency and his beauty, it embraces him,
^nd htlds him fast ; when his power comes upon it, it is made willing to receive him,
whom, before, it had a dislike of, and an aversion to.
OF FREE GRACE. 107
get up. So God must fetter Ephraim before he can get up, be-
fore he can tame him ; " I was as a bullock, unaccustomed to the
yoke," nothing but kicking and spurning at first; afterwards
Ephraim becomes more gentle ; " When I was converted, I
smote upon my thigh, and was confounded :" but before, Ephraim
was a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke. Hence it is, that the
entrance of Christ into a person is attributed unto the power of
Christ; " Thy people shall be a willing people in the day of thy
power ;" the power of the Lord must overcome a person, before
Christ can have a possession of him, in regard of the crossness of
the spirit of man to the pleasure of Christ.
At the first, then, there may be a passive receiving of Christ
by which Christ may enter and doth enter into the spirit*, though
the soul reach not forth the hand to take him in ; but rather on
the contrary part, fight against him by keeping him from enter-
ing : but now when this Christ is poured into the spirit of a man
by the power of the Lord, then he begins to work, to break, and
to tame the spirit, to be at his own beck and pleasure : when
Christ hath once revealed himself, and made the soul behold his
beauty, and acquainted it with his excellency, then it beoins to
embrace him, and to hold him fast, and will not let him go.
Here comes in the second act of receiving Christ, when we
take him, perceiving he is a friend and coming for good, and
that there is no good but by him. Christ is considered as given
of the Father ; and being given, the Father hath no regard to any
thing! a man can do for him, or any thing he can do against
him$.
But it may be, before I leave this, you will ask, is not unbelief
a bar to have a part in Christ ?
I answer. It is a bar to hinder the manifestation of Christ in
the spirit ; but it is not a bar to hinder one from having a part in
Christ, on whom God doth bestow him. It is true, that you, nor
I, can say by experience that Christ is ours, until we believe ; as
long as we continue in total unbelief, we cannot conclude to our
own spirits that Christ is ours : but unbelief is not simply a bar
to the bestowing of Christ, to such a person ; he bestows him
without any regard § to belief, or unbelief: if unbelief should be
a bar to hinder Christ from being bestowed upon men, where is
the man to whom Christ should be bestowed 1 There is no per-
* Acts ix. 3. t Micah vi. 6, f. J Gen. xx. 6. § Luke xis. 5. "
108 THE NEW COVENANT.
son under heaven considered simply as ungodly, and under the
notion of ungodliness, but he is considered as an unbeliever, as
well as a sinner in other respects ; so that to the Father's giving
of Christ, unbelief is not a bar ; only to the inward satisfaction
of the soul and spirit, unbelief is a bar ; a soul cannot be resolved
till it doth believe.
III. And so now I come to consider the third thing I proposed,
namely.
What it is for Christ to be given to open the blind eyes ?
There are two things very remarkable in it, that he is given
to do this : for hence I infer, and the thing itself will clearly
bear it :
First, That Christ is actually passed over to a soul, and a pos-
session of Christ is delivered unto persons, before ever their
blind eyes are opened, or they come out of prison ; that is, be-
fore they have any gracious qualifications whatsoever ; and this
is a truth that follows upon the former, that Christ himself is the
first spiritual gift that the Father doth bestow upon any, before
there be wrought any opening of the eyes, which is the first of
all gracious qualifications wrought in a man.
Secondly, That the opening of the eyes, and bringing the pri-
soners out of prison, is the sole work of Christ ; none doth this
business but Christ alone when he is once given.
The first will need a little clearing (and thereby the second
will be sufficiently evidenced) being a truth of very great con-
cern, and yet seldom seriously considered ; I say, that Christ is
actually given and passed over to men, and made really theirs,
before ever there be any gracious qualifications put into the soul
of such a man, I say, as before, observe this caution, I speak of
God's giving Christ unto men, not of the manifestation of him
unto a man to be his : there is, and must be faith, as J said be-
fore, for the manifestation of him to be ours ; but there is no
qualification wrought in the heart of any person, before Christ
be actually passed over, and made his in the covenant. Now, I
say, Christ is given and passed over to such a person, before he
has any gracious qualifications ; I do not mean, as some do, that
God did actually decree Christ, unto such and such, before he
put any qualifications in them ; this is a truth indeed ; but I say
further, That God gives actual possession of Christ, and Christ
takes possession of that person, before there be any qualifications
OF FREE GRACE.
109
wrought in him : now Christ is given, not only to perform some
common acts of God's providence, but he is given as the covenant
itself; he enters, and actually justifies a person, before any qua-
lification be wrought in him.
Now I shall endeavour to clear this, by all possible evidence
I can ; the scripture is plain for it, in Isa. Ixi. I, 2, 3, and so
forward ; there you shall see that Christ is actually given unto
men, before any gracious qualifications whatsoever be wrought in
them ; " The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me," saith Christ;
for they are his words, as he himself applies them, in the sermon
he preached, Luke iv. 18, " The Spirit of the Lord God is upon
me, because the Lord hath anointed me to preach the gospel to
the poor, he hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach
deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind,
and to set at liberty them that are bruised."
Observe it, I pray you. Here Christ hath a business to do in
the world ; which is, " To bind up the broken-hearted ;" and, the
Lord hath anointed him to this business. What is that anoint-
ing 2 The Lord hath separated him, designed him to it ; and ac-
cording to his designation, places him where he may do it ; this
is meant by anointing. Now, when a man is set apart, and sent
about such a business: he must be there corporally or virtually
before that is done, which he is sent to do ; he is sent to do a
thing, therefore he must be there where it is to be done : a man
is not said to do a thing, when it is done before he come ; if
Christ be sent to bind up the broken hearted, and if it be his
business ; certainly they are not bound up before he comes to
bind them ; and if he comes to bind them up, then he is present
before they are bound up.
But, peradventure, you will say, by this text, here are broken
hearts first, before Christ be sent to bind them up; therefore
there must be broken hearts before Christ come to the souL
To this I answer. That a broken heart is to be considered in a
double sense, either, first. Simply for a heart undone; or,
secondly. For one sensible of its own undoing : you know, men
are said to be undone, and broke, when their estates are broke,
and their credit cracked; and, they may be said to be broke,
when they have examined their own books, and find that they
are, and so seek to their creditors to make agreement : they may
tie considered as broken, supposing and considering what their
110 THE NEW COVENANT
condition is simp j 'n itself, as they are undone in it ; or eUe,
as they apprehend themselves to be undone, and so make agree-
ment.
Now, these two kinds of brokenness of heart considered. I
answer, It is most certainly true in the first sense, there is a
broken heart, before Christ is considered as present to bind it up ;
that is, men are really undone, before he comes to restore them ;
but these persons are not sensible of their own brokenness of
heart, until Christ comes and makes them sensible of it.
Therefore, if you will speak of the sense of breaking, I flatly
affirm, Christ is actually given, and is come unto the soul, before
sensibleness be wrought in the soul. Mark but the covenant as
it is recited, Ezek. xxxvi. 26, who is it deals with the heart of
man to take away the stoniness of it, and to give a meltingness
unto it ? " I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and
I will give you an heart of flesh :" who is that ? It is he that did
obtain a more excellent ministry, by how much he was the medi-
ator of abetter covenant; even the mediator of this covenant,
and it is he that takes away the stony heart ; and, if he breaks it,
how can there be said to be a broken heart, before Christ comes
to do it?
Therefore, in brief, know this, Christ is sent unto men, as to
bind up their hearts, when they are broken, so graciously to
break them, when they are hard ; first, he breaks them, then he
binds them up ; " He is sent to bind up the broken-hearted, to
proclaim liberty to the captives, the opening of prison-doors to
the prisoners:" people think by their humiliations, sorrows,
mournings, and obedience, and such like, to get Christ ; but it
is plain that the very spirit of mourning is the work of Christ
upon a person, and he is present to work it too. Zech. xii. 10,
' I will pour upon the house of David, and the inhabitants of
Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and supplication : and they shall
look upon me, whom they have pierced, and mourn :" who was
it that poured this spirit of grace, supplication, and mourning ?
I, saith Christ. I, who was that I ? It is he that was pierced, on
whom they shall look that had pierced him ; " They shall look
upon me whom they have pierced ;" this is he that poured out
the spirit of supplication and mourning ; so, if it be Christ that
was pierced, as is plain, then it is also plain that he poured out
the spirit of grace, supplication, and mourning : how then can
OF FREE GRACU. HI
tKey mourn before Christ comes, when it is he, after he is come,
that doth this thing ?
Object any qualification whatsoever, and it will appear most
evident and plain, that it is Christ himself, after he is come, that
works it ; even faith itself, which is called the radical grace
of all graces, is not given until Christ himself be given to
men, who works this very faith ; Heb. xii. 2, " Looking (saith
the apostle) unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith :"
he is the author ; what faith can there be then till he comes to
work it ?
Consider, Psalm Ixviii. 18, compared with Eph, iv. 8, and you
shall plainly see Christ is given unto men, before there be any
qualifications of any grace whatsoever in them; " Thou hast re-
ceived gifts for the rebellious," saith the Psalmist ; " Thou hast
given gifts unto men," saith the apostle : put them both together,
Christ received for, and gave gifts unto rebellious men ; con-
sider, I pray, what gracious dispositions, and qualifications are
considerable in rebellious men ; as they are rebellious, there can
be none considered : but Christ received for, and gave gifts to,
the rebellious ; therefore, he is given, and accordingly gives
whatsoever any person hath, before he hath any thing.
There are many notable arguments in scripture most abso-
lutely establishing this truth; that Christ is given and made
over unto men before they have any qualification whatsoever.
Col. i. 18, where Christ is called, " The head of the body, the
church, and the beginning." These two metaphors illustrate and
establish this truth.
First, Christ is the beginning. He that is the beginning of
all things, is before all things ; not only in the being of nature
before all things, but actually present before all things be begun.
He that is the builder of the house, doth not come after it is
begun to be built ; but he is present at the place before a stone
is laid, because he is the man that must lay it, he is the beginner
of it ; and if he be the beginning, whatsoever is begun, is after
him that is the beginning.
Secondly, Christ is the head. This is the other metaphor,
whereby is set forth, that Christ must upon necessity be in the
soul, be actually passed over unto men, before they can have
any gracious qualifications. A head is the fountain of all ani-
mal and sensitive spirits, and of all motion ; without a head, a
112 THE NEW COVENANT
man cannot hear, see, walk, feel, stir, nor do any tiling, seeing
all these operations come from the head. Consider the body as
headless, and all the senses are absent, and without a head
nothing is done. Christ is the head of his church, (so saith the
apostle) that is, he is the fountain of all spiritual sense and mo-
tion. You may as soon conceive that a man is able to see whilst
he hath not a head ; as to think, a man can have spiritual eyes,
whether the eye of faith to behold Christ, or the eyes of mourn-
ing to lament one's wretchedness, before there be actually the
presence and conjunction of Christ the head, unto such a body.
Beloved, to think a man can have any spiritual sight, before
Christ be actually united to the soul, is all one, as for a man to
think to see, before he has eyes. The eyes are placed in the
head ; both the organs, faculties, and spirits all are in the head ;
now can a man see, that hath neither eyes nor spirits to feed
fhem 1 which he hath not, while he hath not a head, where all
these are planted. Christ must be the eye, and present, to give
sight ; therefore, the scripture ej^pressly says, " That he is given
for a covenant to open the blind eyes :" if to open them, then
they are not opened before he gives them sight.
And, thirdly, As Christ is called a head, and a beginning ; so
also life, frequently in the scripture. " I am the way, the truth,
and the life : no man eometh to the Father, but by me," John
xiv. 6. Can a man be an active creature, before there be life
breathed into him 1 " The Lord, (saith the text) at the creation,
breathed into man the breath of life, and so he became a
living soul." He was like a stone, till he had life ; but now,
saith the apostle, " I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me
Gal. ii. 20. " And, by the grace of God, I am that I am, and
his grace that was bestowed upon me, was not in vain ; but I
laboured more abundantly than they all." Paul was an active
soul. How? " By the grace of God," 1 Cor. xv. 10. That is,
as a body, without a soul is dead; so every person, in spi-
ritual actions, is wholly dead, till Christ the soul of the soul
oe infused into him, to animate and enliven him.
I shall not spend more time in urging more arguments ; though
1 might be large to shew that Christ is the first thing given unto
us, before all other whatsoever. For if this light be not enough,
we must wait till the Lord in his time will reveal his truth.
IV. And now in a word or two consider, who they are, to
OF FREE ORACB.
whom Christ is given to be a covenant. All this is good news,
will some say, to those unto whom it is sent. Many thousands
cry out, Oh, but it is none of my portion, nor my portion, that
Christ should be given as a covenant to me.
I shall not be large in this, though some may expect it ; the
text will tell in part, who those are to whom he is given for a
covenant, to wit, the people, and the Gentiles, one, as well as
another. God gives Christ to men without respect of persons,
to Jews and Gentiles. You shall find through the whole course
of the scripture, the persons to whom Christ is exhibited, are
still expressed in the most general terms : if a man would know
for whom he came, it is answered, " He came to seek and to
save those that are lost ; in due time, he came to die for the
ungodly:" and " came not to call the righteous, but sinners to
repentance ; and while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."
The scripture runs upon this strain ; why then should any man
come and cry, " He died not for me, he is not given for me "
Why, art thou a convinced sinner ? He was given for thee, if
thou art truly saying with the publican, " God be merciful to
me a sinner."
The king puts forth a proclamation, and in it he pardons all
thieves : what mad or foolisb thief will say. Oh, but the king
doth not mean me, he may mean others, but not me ! Why, he
means thieves in general, he excepts none : why shouldest thou
say, not me 1 If there be the name of thieves in general, with-
out particular mentioning of some, they will come in, and take
their portion. Beloved, so Christ deals with men, he is given to
the people, to the Gentiles ; art thou of the people ? art thou of
the Gentiles 1 If thou art, why is he not given to thee? Nay
more, it is the people and Gentiles considered as sinners 1
But some will be ready to say. You know he is not given to
all people, and all Gentiles ; some do miscarry, and possibly 1
may be among them that do miscarry : but how shall I know
that I am among the number of such sinners that shall not mis
carry ; and my portion is in this Christ ?
Beloved, here observe by the way, now we are speaking of
knowing whether Christ be mine, or no, not simply of Christ's
being ours, but of his manifestation, or of knowing him to be
ours, how shall I know it ? You will say. There are labyrinths,
in which a man may walk, and by hap may chance to hit the
I
j,14 THE NEW COVENANT
right, in the finding of this great truth, so much searched after,
how a man may know whether Christ be his or no. To lead yoti
a plain and sure way; the best way for any man to knOw whether
Christ be his or no, is to consider the conveyance in which he is
made over to men ; see the terms of conveyance, and according
to these terms, such is the security of your title. Now the terms
of conveyance (as I have often told you) are only such as in a
need of gift, and a deed of gift universally exhibited and reached
out. Therefore, t must tell you, there is no better way to know
your portion in Christ, than upon the general tender of the
gospel, to conclude absolutely he is yours, and so, without any
more ado, to take him, as tendered to you, on his word* ; and
this taking of him, upon a general tenderf , is the greatest secu-
rity in the world, that Christ is yours. Say unto your souls (and
let not this be contradicted, seeing Christ hath reached out him-
self to sinners as sinners.) My part is as good as any mat's;
set down thy rest here ; question it not, but believe it ; it is as
good security as God can make thee : he hath promised, venture
thy soul upon it, without seeking for further security. But, some
will say, he doth not belong to me : why not to thee ? he be ■
longs to sinners, as sinners ; and if there be no worse than sin-
fulness, rebellion, and enmity in thee, he belongs to thee, as
well as to any in the world$ : and there is nothing at all can
give thee a certainty he is thine, but receiving him on these
terms; " He came to his own, and his own received him not;
but, to as many as received him, (mark that) he gave power to
become the sons of God."
He receiveth sinners, as sinners ; he never shut out one of all
• Isaiah Iv. 1.
+ This is the principal passage on which the Dutch professor Hoornbeeck, has laid
the charge of holding universal redemption to the Doctor, concluding, from this gene-
ral tender, or offer of Christ to all, that he held the universal satisfaction of Christ for
all, and that all have an equal portion in it ; from whence they might be assured of
Christ as theirs, and not from any condition in themselves ; and, indeed, the univer-
sal offer, cannot be supported without supposing universal redemption ; which those,
who are fond of, and yet profess particular redemption, would do well to consider. — •
See Summa Controv. p. 703. 1. 10.
J This is putting it upon a much better foot than the general tender ; which is
no security to any, of Christ being his ; nor even general redemption itself, since all
have not a portion in him, or are saved by him ; but, Christ dying for the worst and
chief of sinners, and his promise to receive, and his actually receiving them as such,
are the best security, and on which a poor sinner, under a deep sense of sin may rely ;
and be encouraged to apply to Christ, and lay hold upon him as his own Saviour. Sea
the last paragraph of the next sermon, where the Doctor mentions a bettej security
than the general tender.
OF FREB GRACE. 115
those thousands, that came upon the tender of the gospel ; he
never put any by ; " But to as many as received him, to them he
gave power to become the sons of God." Bring me any one in-
stance in the whole book of God, of any one that hath come to
Christ, and taken him upon the tender of the gospel, and yet he
hath put this person by. It is true, in a shallow matter, concern-
ing a bodily cure, the woman comes to Christ, and at the first, he
would not hear, then he calls her dog ; yet before they parted,
Christ not only accepts the woman, but breaks out into admi-
>ation, " Oh! woman, great is thy faith!" But, I say, in the
ousiness of partaking of Christ, shew me an instance of any in
all the book of God, that have ventured upon the general tender ♦
of Christ, which was rejected. If there be no example, in all the
scripture, from whence fetch you this bitterness of your own
spirits, that you may not, that you dare not close with Christ ?
But, you will say to me. If this taking of him be the best se-
curity, how shall I know whether I believe or no '( Or how shall
I know whether this my taking is not a counterfeit, but a solid,
substantial, real, taking of Christ.
I answer. By the reality of the thing. Do you it indeed? If
you do it indeed, it is a real taking. If a man should ask you,
How do you know the sun shines ? The light of it shews itself,
and, by its light, we know it shines. How shall I know I be-
lieve ? There is a light in faith that discovers itself unto men.
The soul that really closes with Christ, may conclude he doth.
If you give sixpence to a poor man, and then ask him. How do
you know I have given you it, and that you have it ? Why, saith
he, I have it in my hand, and find, and feel I have it. So, ask
your hearts this question, How do I know I believe in Christ ?
Do I cast my heart upon this truth ? Do I receive it as one that
I do believe, or do I reject it, or will not receive it ? Then I do
not believe : but if you sit down, and rest upon it, and receive it,
and do in reality believe it ; then you may absolutely conclude
Christ is yours. In respect of time, I cannot amplify any fur-
ther: but, I hope, for the present, this will give satisfaction. A
word or two for application, and so I will conclude.
Is this a truth, as hath been by scripture proved to you,
** That Christ is given a covenant to men, to open their blind
eyes ?" Then it is plain, they begin at the wrong end of the
• R«y. xxii. 17.
i2
11*J THE NEW COVENANT
bottom, who begin to wind up at the graciousness of their own
spirits, from thence to have comfort. If you begin at any other
end than at Christ to get grace and comfort, you do as they do
that take the inmost end of the bottom of the thread, and begin
to ravel there ; so that little or no work is done, but much and
many a knot, and broken ends made, and the work quite spoiled;
whereas, if they begun at the utmost end of the bottom, it would
have run without disturbance.
Beloved, Christ is given to open men's blind eyes ; go whither
you will, you shall never have your eyes spiritually opened, ex-
cept you go to him : Oh, what a do is here with men, or in men,
with breaking their own hearts, and forsaking their sins ! And
whither do they run 1 they run to their inherent righteousness,
their qualifications, their prayers, their tears, their humiliations,
sorrows, reformations, universal obedience, and the like ; but is
this to run to free grace and free mercy in Christ ? nay, Christ,
alas, is never thought of; he is clean forgotten, and wholly neg-
lected, and not considered all this while. Here is ploughing
with a wooden plough ; here is a working upon a dead horse, or
rather with one ; what is in the heart of a man to plough up the
rock of his own heart 1 No marvel, that you sweat and toil and
moil all the day long, and all lies in the same case it did : there
IS no strength to bring forth ; because you go in your own, or
the strength of the creature, and not in the strength of the Lord
Jesus.
You know when a pump is dry, men use not to stand labouring
at it till they sweat ; but they first come, and fetch a bucket of
water, and pour the water into it, and then they fall to pumping,
and by virtue of the water poured in, there comes more water up,
and by continual pumping they fetch out abundance : so your
hearts are dry things, there is no sap, no moisture, no life in them ;
(jbrist must first b3 poured in, before you can get any thing out;
wherefore then stand you labouring and tugging in vain ? Oh,
stay no longer, go to Christ ; it is he that must break thy rocky
heart, before the plough can come over it, or at least enter into
it. As I told you before, so I tell you again, you must consider
Christ as freely given unto you by the Father, even before you
can believe.
There is a story of Ebedmelech, the black-moor in Jeremy,
who by his interest and favour with the king, got leave to go to
OF FREE GRACE. 1J7
ihe dungeon to Jeremiah to fetch him out: he carries ropes with
him, lets them down, and causeth Jeremiah to put them under his
arms, and round about him ; now Jeremiah by holding fast the
ropes, doth not pull him into the pit, but he pulls Jeremiah out
of the pit to himself. I speak this by way of illustration. Christ
is our Ebedmelech with the Father, the great King of Glory ; his
dealing prevails that he may have liberty to pluck us poor Jere-
mies out of the pit and dungeon of sin and satan, of misery and
destruction. How doth he this ? He doth not first send ropes,
and then come after, but goes and carries them with him ; that is,
Christ doth not send faith first to believers, and then comes after
as drawn by it; no, but he comes and brings it with him, and he,
being present, lets it down to them ; and when they have it, they
do not draw Christ down to them by it, but holding it fast, he
draws them up to himself. So here is not faith first, and then
Christ ; but Christ comes first and gives faith to apprehend and
lay hold upon him : Consider, therefore, Christ as your Ebed-
melech, who comes and reacheth himself out to draw you up, and
bing first present, reacheth out faith to you, by which you may
hold; so Christ fetcheth you out of the pit.
Wherefore (to draw to a conclusion) remember this, as you run
to Christ, so shall you prosper in every thing you take in hand;
all the business that Christ undertakes shall go on a-main, whilst
that the creature undertakes shall stand at a stop. Make trial,
begin but with Christ ; take him along with you in your entrance
upon any thing, and you have a mighty counsellor to guide
and direct you, for so Christ is called; and good counsel, you
know, is very useful for a prosperous expedition of things.
Again, you have a tower and refuge fully secure to retreat to, in
case of extremity, or of over -mastership. It useth to be a prime
piece of policy, being to combat with an enemy, to make sure ot
some good fort, and to maintain that ; so that if the enemy be too
strong, they may know whither to go to be hid and saved from
the present danger ; and without such a refuge they are all liable
to be cut off*; so do you begin with Christ ; make sure of him
when you enter into the field of the world ; get but this fort, and
you have a place of retreat upon all occasions, where there is
most certain security, which the gates of hell shall not be able to
prevail against, for Christ is that impregnable rock; but this
is not all.
118 THE NEW COVENANT OF FREE GRACE.
Christ IS also aqua vitce, water of life ; take but Christ along
with yon, and then in all your travels no sooner do you begin to
faint, but there is aqua vifce at hand ; you may drink of it, and
your spirits shall be refreshed and revived. What shall I say
more to you ? It is Christ that oils the wheels of your chariots,
and makes you run the ways of God's commandments. It is he
that fills the sails ; you must needs lie at a calm, if he be not
present to blow in them. Take Christ with you, and you have
the wind at command. Many a mariner would give the world to
have such a privilege as to command the natural winds, and to
make them blow when, and which way he listeth ; he would never
then lie wind-bound. Beloved, you that have Christ, have the
wind in your fists ; you may be carried to SiXij port you will. If
you have him, you shall have a swift gale, and shall sail a-main
by his power.
Therefore, if Christ be poured forth, and a gift unto men, and
so cheap that you may have him for nothing, only receiving him,
let this be your everlasting cry and song, none but Christ, none
but Clirist! or, rather, in the language of the Apostle, " I desire
to know nothing but Jesus Christ, and him crucified."
SERMON VIII.
CHRISTIAN LIBERTY NO LICENTIOUS DOCTRINE.
JOHN viii. 36.
IF THE SON THEREFORE SHALL MAKE YOU FREE, YE SHALL
BE FREE INDEED.
Our Saviour here gives a hint to his apostles, that they should
not look to fare better than their master. He speaks of hard
usage in the world ; for he came into it to fulfil a gracious and
glorious ministry, bringing from the bosom of his Father the
great and unsearchable love the Father had from everlasting in
liis thoughts towards his own dear ones ; and so he takes all
CHRISTIAN LIBERTV NO LICENTIOUS DOCTRINE.
119
opportunities and advantages to publish the glad tidings of salva-
tion to the sons of men; yet met he with much opposition. But
although Christ knew full well that there were many cavillers laid
snares to trap him in his words, and that they frequented the
common assemblies where he preached, to catch something from
him, whereby they might have a colour at least to upbraid him,
and'bring him into danger; I say, although Christ knew there
were in all such assemblies some Scribes and Pharisees, and such
like, yet for all this, when opportunity offered, he was graciously
pleased to use much freedom of speech to them ; and though
some were carping and cavilling at his words and his person, yet
some there were to whom the glad tidings of salvation did belong,
who by his ministry received them, and so were comforted. It
seems it fell out thus with Christ, in the two former chapters,
and this out of which I have taken my text ; for in these he was
graciously pleased to hold forth the light of the glad tidings oi
salvation, wherein he used, as I said before, much freedom and
boldness of speech, which occasioned the adversaries of the
gospel to vent their poison, and spit the venom of their malice
against him. He could no sooner speak a word of grace, but
presently they were upon the back of him.
These three chapters contain in them nothing else but a conti-
nued dispute between Christ and his enemies, intermingled with
most admirable, sweet, and gracious expressions of him to his
own people. In verse 30, after a large dispute and discourse,
the Holy Ghost is pleased to tell us. That "many did believe in
Christ" upon the words that he had spoken. Here you see a
gracious effect upon some, that Christ knew before hand; upon
which he took encouragement, notwithstanding all the adversa-
ries' opposition, to be bold in speaking ; and, perceiving that his
gospel took effect upon some, nay, many of the people, he turns
his discourse from these carpers, with whom he had so long dis-
puted before, and begins to frame his speech to the capacity and
condition of the new converts and believers ; therefore, in verse
31, 32, our Saviour delivers himself to them in this manner: "If
you continue in my words," saith he, " then are you my dis-
ciples, and the truth shall make you free."
Now, although it be apparent that Christ directs this speech of
his to the new believers, yet in verse 37 the cavillers carp and
cavil, whether wittingly or ignorantly I cannot say ; they must
120 CHRISTIAN LIBERTY
needs have Christ to speak this passage unto them ; and they
presently, in a hot and captious way, reply to him : whereas he
had said, " They should be free, and the truth should make
them free:" that is, as many of them as did believe; they pre-
sently retorted upon him, why ? " We are Abraham's seed, we
were never in bondage :" how can we be made free ? They might
have held their tongues, Christ never meant them, he never
spake to them : and though they said, " They were never in
bondage," in bondage they were, and in bondage like to be.
However, Christ did not speak to them,, but to believers ; yet
they will not leave him so, they will have a fling at him, there-
fore he answers their objection again. In the 33d verse, they
made use of this argument to assert their freedom ; said they,
'• We are Abraham's seed, we were never in bondage." What,
doth he talk of making us free ? He takes off this recoil with a
two-edged sword. There is a double answer to the argument
they make use of First, therefore, Christ shews what the liberty
is, and wherein it stands, he speaks of. Secondly, he shews that
their plea is not good, for their being Abraham's seed was not a
plea sufficient for their freedom.
First, Christ shews what true freedom is, that he thus speaks
of; it is namely this, " abiding in the house for ever."
Secondly, he shews that to be Abraham's seed is not enough
to make them free ; for the answer of Christ is thus : " He that
committeth sin (saith he) is the servant of sin : now, the servant
abideth not in the house always, but the son abideth in the house
for ever:" as much as to say, Suppose you are Abraham's seed,
yet if you commit sin, for all this you are servants, you are in
oondage to sin ; and, as long as you ai*e, you have no liberty. All
freedom consists in this especially, that Christ speaks of, that to
the free indeed there will be abiding in the house for ever. The
apostle, Gal. iv. 22, 28, illustrates to us the nature of this free-
dom (that Christ speaks of) in this place, and, indeed,, sets forth
the substance of it : " I>o you not hear the law ? You that desire
to be under the law, what saith it?" The law speaks thus (saith
he) : Abraham had two children, the one according to the pro-
mise, the other of the bond-woman. These are a mystery :
Agar signifies Mount-Sinai, in Arabia, which genders unto
bondage. Now, Agar was the mother of Ishmael, but the seed
of the promise is from above. The conchision is this, saith the
NO LICENTIOUS DOCTRINE. 121
apostle, " Cast out the bond-woman and her son, for the son of
the bond-woman shall not inherit with the son of the free-
woman;" but he that is free, is in the inheritance for ever:
the bond-woman, and her son, must not abide in the house for
ever, they must be cast out. Christ alludes to this, of Abra-
ham's casting- out of Ishmael ; as much as to say. There may
be those of the seed of Abraham, as Ishmael was, yet be cast
out, being not the seed of the promise ; they may be the seed of
Abraham, but being the servants of sin, there is no abiding
for them.
Now our Saviour having repelled and answered their argu-
ments, he comes, in the words of my text, to shew the rise and
fountain from whence this freedom he speaks of, springs, or
takes its first beginning ; " If the Son therefore make you free,
then are you free indeed."
The words I have read to you, are an hypothetical proposi-
tion, or a conclusion stated upon a supposition, and contain in
them these particulars. First, The grace itself held out, and
that is freedom. " If the Son make you free." Secondly, The
original, or the cause of it ; that is, the Son's making them so,
" If the Son make you free. Thirdly, The quality of it, what
kind of freedom it is ; it is not a shadowy, or empty, useless
freedom, but a substantial one, " Then are you free indeed."
This hypothetical proposition reduced into a categorical con-
clusion, is no more but this, " They that the Son makes free,
are free indeed."
Only there is one thing observable from the argument of
Christ in this place, that will add a word to this proposition.
These Jews, that did dispute with Christ, they pretended that
there was no way to full freedom, but by being born of Abraham ;
so their being the seed of Abraham, gives them a complete free-
dom: now Christ takes them upon advantage; he will suppose
with them in their sense, that if freedom were to be had by any
outward privilege, it should be, by being Abraham s seed ; if,
therefore, Abraham's freedom be no freedom, as indeed it is not,
then there can be none, but by one that is above Abraham.
Now, saith Christ, the Son shall make you free : as much as to
say, Abraham, the freest person in the world, cannot make you
free, much les,s can any other but the Son. So then, the pro-
position is this. That they alone are indeed free, who have their
122 CHRISTIAN LIBERTY
freedom from the Son of God; I say, they alone are free indeed,
who are made free only by Christ ; none in the world, nothing
in the world can make free, but the Son of God.
Now, that we may suck, and be satisfied, at the breasts of
consolation (for there is the sincere milk of the word in it), let
us take briefly into our consideration these few particulars.
First, What the freedom is, whereof Christ speaks in this
place.
Secondly, How Christ makes free.
And if time shall serve. Thirdly, Who they are, that are thus
made free by Christ.
I will begin with the first, What this freedom is, whereof
Christ speaks in this place. For clearing whereof, note, first,
That freedom and liberty are terms of one and the same signifi-
cation. It is all one to say. The Son makes free, or the Son
gives liberty. Both the Greek word eX.ev'^epoiy and the Latin
word liberi, are promiscuously translated, either free, or men at
liberty. It is true, I confess, this word liberi^, hath gotten an
ill name in the world, partly through the abuse of liberty, and
partly through the malignity of some spirits, that strike even at
the heart of Christ, through the sides of those that are Christ's ;
laying reproachful, ignominious, and shameful names, upon them
of libertinism. Now, because liberty and freedom are thus
brought into reproach and disgrace, the true freedom, whicli
Christ hath purchased and given, requires some clearing, least
it perish and be lost in the rubbish of corrupt liberty ; and so
the people of God be jeered out of that which is their greatest
portion.
I am ashamed to speak it, 1 would there were not occasion
that which is the very life and the sole comfort of the members
of Christ Jesus, becomes such a reproach, through the malignity
of the enemies of the gospel of Christ, that the very believers
themselves are almost ashamed to go under the name of that that
is their greatest glory. To be called a libertine, is the most
glorious title under heaven ; take it for one that is truly free by
Christ. To be made free by Christ, in proper construction, is
no other but this, to be made a libertine by Christ ; I do not
say, to be made a libertine in the corrupt sense of it, but to be
one in the true and proper sense of it. It is true, indeed, Christ
NO LICENTIOUS DOCTRINB, 123
dotli not give liberty unto licentiousness of life and coversation ;
of which we shall speak more by and by ; but a real and true
liberty Christ hath purchased, and given to all his members.
That we may the better understand therefore what this free-
dom is, that Christ hath purchased, and bestows upon believers ;
and, thereby, save it from the reproach of corrupt and licentious
liberty : understand, beloved, that there is a threefold liberty.
First, Moral or civil. Secondly, Sensual and corrupt Thirdly,
Spiritual and divine.
First, Moral and civil liberty is that wliich these Jews speak
of, (mis-interpreting the sense of Christ) such as you used to
have in your cities ; when a man hath served out his time, he is
a freeman, he hath the freedom of the city, he hath liberty to
trade in it : so Paul understood liberty, when he spake with the
centurion 5 the centurion said he bought it with a great deal of
money ; but saith Paul, I was so born ; I was born a Roman.
But of this liberty Christ speaks not here.
Secondly, There is a corrupt liberty ; that the apostle speaks
of in Gal. v. 13. He tells us thus, " That we are called unto
liberty ;" but, saith he, " Use not liberty as an occasion to the
flesh." A licentious liberty is nothing else but this, namely,
when men turn the grace of God into wantonness, and abusing
the gospel of Christ, continue in sin, that grace might abound.
Unto which the apostle affixes an abhorrence ; God forbid, saith
he, any man should make use of such a liberty as this. I am
confident of it, and affirm boldly, there is not one man made free
by Christ, that makes it his rule, namely, to be bold to commit
sin with greediness, because of the redemption that is in the
blood of Christ : but that Christ who hath redeemed from sin
and wrath, hath also redeemed from a vain conversation ; and
there shall not be a making use of the grace of God, as embold-
ening, and encouraging, to break out into licentiousness. All
that have this freedom purchased by Christ for them, have also
the power of God in them, which keeps them that they break not
out licentiously ; the seed of God abides in them, that they can-
not sin, as in the 1 John iii. 9, that is, they cannot sin after this
fashion*.
• This paragraph, as well as a multitude of others, shew that the Doctor wag no
friend to licentiousness, and what a madness it is to charge so worthy a person with
feolding hcentious principles.
124 CHRISTIAN LIBERTY
Thirdly, There is a spiritual liberty ; for of corrupt licentious-
ness Christ speaks not in the text neither ; but of a spiritual
freedom : and that it may be clear, he speaks of a spiritual free-
dom here, you may plainly perceive by the words going before ;
for whereas these Pharisees affirmed they were not in bondage ;
Christ proves they were, thus ; " They were the servants of sin,
(saith he), and he that is the servant of sin, abides not in the
house for ever;" as much as to say, the bondage here, was such,
as consisted in being under sin ; so then, Christ here means a
bondage and slavery under sin ; the freedom, therefore, opposite
to this, must needs be a spiritual freedom.
Now it will be worth our while to enquire, first, into the na-
ture ; and, secondly, into the quality of this spiritual freedom,
that Christ brings with him to his own people.
First, For the nature of this freedom. The philosophers have
a rule, that is of very good use, for clearing of divine truths ;
" Contraries illustrate each other." Freedom will be most
clearly, or at least more clearly apparent unto us, by considering
the contrary to freedom. The contrary to freedom is bondage ;
if we know what the bondage is that Christ speaks of, we shall
better know what the freedom is.
We will awhile consider what bondage Christ speaks of here,
to which he opposeth freedom, as I said before.
The bondage he speaks of, is a bondage under sin. Let us
briefly consider what this is. This stands in these two things.
First, An obligation unto, and under the curse of the law, hy
reason of its transgression.
And, secondly, In the privation of all comfort and content-
ment, by reason of the same transgression.
First, I say, an obligation unto, and under the curse of the
law, by reason of transgressing it, that is the first part of bondage
under sin. A person is then properly and truly under bondage,
when by reason of his transgression, he can make no escape from
under the curse of the law, but must lie down to it, and be under
the torment of it, as a bond-slave, even as a slave in the Turks
gallies; though this man in his slavery, works ever so hard;
(for of that he shall not want, work enough he shall have) yet, it
at any time he shall chance to slip or fall, whether it be through
omission, or through mere infirmity and weakness, and want of
strength j all his hard labour is nothing at all considered ; but,
NO LICENTIOUS DOCTRINE. 125
when he fails in that insupportable bondage and task, he hath his
stripes and blows.
This, I say, is the true state of bondage, when there is cruelty
and rigour, without any regard to the impossibility to go under
the task ; the load and blows are laid on with weight ; no crying,
no promises, no excuses, no pleas, though ever so reasonable,
can be heard ; but, as there is a fault committed, there must be
stripes inflicted. So it is with a person in spiritual bondage ; a
man is then under the curse of the law, by reason of his trans-
gression, when doing what he can, (suppose as it should be) yet,
if he fail but in one thing, that which he doth, is not regarded
nor considered; neither is his ability to do no more, taken no-
tice of ; but, still as he slips, so the law lays on stripes.
There are two things, mainly to be considered, that do mightily
embitter the condition of a bondman, who is under the curse of
the law, because of his transgression.
The first is this. The threatenings and menacings of the curse,
incessantly following one upon the neck of another, with loud
out-cries of bitterness against this soul transgressing. It is with
a person in bondage to sin, under the curse of the law for it, as
it was with Job in respect of the afflictions that were upon him :
one comes and brings him word his oxen were taken away ; he
had no sooner done but another comes and tells him his sheep
were lost; and, no sooner had he delivered his message, but
another comes and tells him his camels were stolen ; and no
sooner had he done, but one comes and tells him his sons and
daughters were slain ; so one after another the messengers came
thick upon him. It is just so with persons in bondage under the
law ; it comes and threatens this curse ; then it comes and
threatens a second ; and, no sooner is that ended, but it comes
and threatens a third, crying out continually, Cursed, cursed,
cursed, cursed. If the ears of the people were open to hear as
much as the law speaks, they would hear nothing else but a peal
of curses belonging to him that is under it. As for instance, a
man under the bondage of the law for sin, can hear nothing but
this, " Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that
are written in the book of the law to do them." Beloved, there
is no man, but in some respect or other, every act that he doth,
hath some infirmity and failing in it ; and, in that regard, the
law speaks, " Cursed art thou, for thou hast not continued in
126 CHRISTIAN LIBERTY
all things that are written in the law to do them." Thou canst
no sooner pass from this act to another, but as soon as tHou Aost
perform that second act, for the failings in it, the law cries.
Cursed ao-ain ; " Cursed art thou, for thou hast not continued in
all things that are written in the book of the law to do them,"
As look into Rom. ii. there is a continued pealing out the law to
those that are in bondage under it; " Tribulation and anguish
and wrath, to every soul that doth evil ;" saving, that in Rom. iii.
19, the apostle tells us, this cursedness, this tribulation, and
anguish, is pronounced by the law only upon them that are
under it ; so then, it is questionless, that to them that are under
it, tribulation, and anguish, and wrath, and vengeance, do
belong.
Now it is a kind of death, a very torment to be under such
continual menaces ; to hear nothing but execrations ; to hear
nothing but curses and bitterness, nothing but indignation and
wrath ; Oh ! what a hell is it upon earth, for a soul to receive
this sentence ! What a bitterness is it for a malefactor, that
stands at the tribunal, to hear a judge, it may be, making a
speech of two hours long to him, only reciting the extremity of
the torment he shall endure, for the crimes he hath committed !
Every repetition or addition of torment, denounced and sentenced,
is a kind of fiery dart, striking fresh and fresh, to the wounding
of the heart. Whoever they are that are under the curse of the
law, by reason of sin, there is no voice speaks, or can be heard,
by them, for the loudness of that voice, Cursed, cursed, cursed,
every moment, every hour ; nothing in the world but cursed.
Beloved, let me tell you, this concerns not only persons that
live in all manner of licentiousness, as drunkenness, whoredom,
the profanation of the sabbath in the grossest measure ; but, that
I may speak plainly, this extends in a parallel line with them, to
the exactest, strictest, precisest person in their conversation,
though the world is not able to say (as men use to say) to them,
black is thine eye ; nay, though thou seem to be spiritual in all
thy performances ; nay, and largely too, yet if thou be under the
law, in thy transgression, thou shalt hear from it, as many curses
pronounced against thee, as all the profane wretches under
heaven ; the greatness of thy honesty and uprightness, whether in
religion, or in matters of commerce and dealings with men, thy
bonest conversation, I say, hath the loud peals of curses sounding
NO LICENTIOUS DOCTRINE. 12?
in fby ears. Suppose thou art a man ailigently attending the
gates ot* the house of God, given much to prayer, fasting, mourn-
ing, and weeping ; yea, to great liberality, givest all thy goods to
the poor, &c. Yet, I say, for all this thou mayest be under the
curse of the law ; that will pick a quarrel in the best of these
performances : it will say, thus and thus, in this and that thou
hast " not continued in all things that are written in the book
of the law to do them ;" concerning this, thou art under the curse
of it as well as another.
Secondly, There are not only menacings and threatenings as a
fearful knell in thine ears from the law, while thou art in bond-
age under it ; but also there is no more with it than a word and
a blow. The Lord doth not deal with men in this case, as he
deals with his own people, holding his rod before them to give
them warning for an escape ; but presently upon the transgres-
sion, the threatening is put in execution speedily without mercy,
laying on the back of the transgressor, terrifying and racking the
soul! Oh, the soul that is awakened, that hears the menaces, and
feels the scourges of the law ! Oh, what torments and anguish,
what tribulation and bitterness must continually affright it ! This,
1 say, is the commission of the law, to spare neither high nor low,
rich or poor — nay, I will go further, holy or unholy, in respect
of the practice of holiness, can exempt himself from the curse of
it. It is true, as the apostle saith, the law speaks life : " Do
this and live ;" but poor comfort is it, because it first requires
such doings as are impossible to be attained ; just as if a man
should be condemned to die at a bar, with this promise : Take all
England, and remove it, upon thy shoulders, into the West
Indies, and then thou shalt be saved from this death *." The
iudge had as good say nothing, for the thing is impossible to be
done. The law, indeed, says, " Do this and live ;" but where is
the man that can do it, by continuing in all things without fail-
ing in one tittle thereof? He that continueth in the whole law,
* Mr. Anthony Burgess, in his Vindicias Legis, p. 14, represents this passage as a
decrying of the law ; but what decrying of the law is this, to observe the true nature
and language of it, requiring that which it is impossible for fallen man to do : he him-
8"lf instances in the gospel, by way of reply, bidding a man believe a thing impossible
to man's power, he observes ; and is not this as much a decrying of the gospel? In-
deed, there is this difTerence, the gospel not only encourages to believe, but it is often
accompanied with the power of God, enabling men to believe, whereas the law is
never attended with such power as to enable men to fulfil it ; but this, he says, it
extraneous to the matter in hand ; but wherein it is so, is not said. See Lancastert
Vindication of the Gospel, &c., p. 215.
128 . CHRISTIAN LIBERTY
and fells but in one point, is guilty of all ; therefore, till you
come to that perfection of fulfilling it, that you fail not in one
tittle, never dream of the life that it holdeth out to you. If you
have failed in one point, all you have done is ravelled out unto
the end again; all your labour is lost; you are as much under*
the curse as if you had done nothing at all.
Yet further, beloved, the bondage under the law not only
stands in the cursings of it, and in the presence of all evil thereby,
but also in the privation of all comfort, that men might have
under this torment : I say, a privation of all comfort ; for there is
not a word, not a tittle of comfort for the refreshment of a person
under the law, not a tittle of comfort in all the law, from first to
last, li is true, there was comfort intermingled in the promul-
gation of it, but the comfort is not from that properly so consi-
dered. As it contains in it a curse to the disobedient, there is
no comfort to any man that is under it, in respect of the curse of
it : I say, the law is to such persons (as Micaiah was to Ahab)
never speaking a word of good to them. But this is not all, for
though the law be never so rigid of itself, if it would allow and
suffer others to -speak a word of comfOrt, there were some good
thino- in it ; but it keeps under, and shuts up, that there cannot be
a word of comfort heard from any other, Gal. iii. 23. There you
shall find that the law is not only a terror of itself to those that
are under it, but it is a most rigid, severe keeper, that there can-
not come in the least glimmerings of light, and comfort else-
where ; for (saith the apostle there, of persons being under the
law) they are shut up unto, or until the faith ; for he calls the
law a school-master until Christ ; so that Christ himself hath not
a word of comfort for them while they are under the law f- :
when Christ speaks any thing, presently saith the law, this is not
to you; this is for others that are exempted from my government,
• Rom. iii. 19.
+ Mr. Burgess, in his Vindiciaj Legis, p. 14, cavils at this passage. He observes,
that by the law, in Gal. iii. 23, is meant the scripture in general ; which, if so, is true
of the law in particular ; though not the whole scripture, but the law part of it must
certainly be intended, since part of the scripture, at least, is written for comfort : he
urges, that the apostle is speaking of the form of Moses's regimen, and of the fathers
having no comfort by that means. Be it so : the same holds good of all other persons
that are under the same spirit of bondage to the law ; he suggests that the Doctor
m representing the law as such a rigid keeper, that it will let none speak comfort to
a man, excludes a mediator ; it is certain that it does not direct to any, and whilst
the soul is under the power of it, it will not suffer it to receive any comfort from
Christ the mediator, or from his gospel, until this breaks in through the power of
divine grace upon him, and delivers him from the bondage of the law. See Lancaster,
*tt rupra, p. 216, &e.
NO LICENTIOUS DOCTRINE. 129
from my dominion ; there is notliing of all this for yaii, you have
nothing to do with it. I say, this is the condition of men that
are kept under this bitterness of the law, that as they transgress,
the curse of it is their prison : persons kept in this estate, how
do they put off the comforts of Christ from them ? There is
none of them belongs to me, saith such a soul ; I have sinned,
and all the judgments of Christ are pronounced against me, T
must die. So long as you continue in this estate, the curses of
the law are as frequently pronounced against you, as there are
transgressions in you. There will not be one comfort of Jesus
Christ to give refreshment to your spirits; but so long as you
still remain in this estate, that you will conclude you are under
the curse, because of your transgressions, you will forsake all the
mercies of the gospel. This is, then, to be in bondage under the
law; namely, for a man so to have it tyrannize and domineer
over him, as to make him believe that as often as he transgresses,
he must expect the sentence of the curse of it to be fulfilled
upon him.
Thirdly, They that are in bondage under the law l)ecause of
sin, as they are subject to this misery, in respect of the privation
of comfort; so the law, it is true, asks work enough, more than
any man under heaven can now perform ; but will provide nothing •
in the world, wherewith to have things dane. It requires the full
tale of brick, but it gives no straw ; it puts into no way where
help may be had; it suffers no help to come in. Let me tell you,
you that are under the curse of the law, that is, have still the law
telling you that as you do fail, so you must have the curse ; you
shall find that when you do the will of God, it will exact the
whole — the utmost tale of brick of you, and will give no help at
all, though never so weak, and unable. Get it as you can, do what
you will, when th^day is done, the law requires that there be
not a brick short. If you fail the least that can be in it, it is no
matter, able or not able, you must have the lash, as well as those
that have the greatest abilities in the world. It is a hard condi-
tion : I have opened it the more largely, that you mav the better
see the glory and happiness of that freedom Christ hath purchased
for his people.
I will in a word give you a touch, who the persons are that
are in this bondage; and then I will come to set forth the
freedom itself ; and, I hope it will not be tedious to hear of the
K
130' CHRISTIAN LIBERTY
freedom, wlien you have heard of the extreme bitterness of thit
bondage.
Who are under this bondage ?
I answer, as I said before, Wlioever you are, that will apply
still to yourselves, the sentence and curse of the law, because of
transgression ; you that be still arguing and pleading, if I trans-
gress, it is but justice, and 1 must expect to feel the smart of the
rod. I say, you that will still maintain and establish the curse,
as a necessary attendant upon transgression and disobedience,
and take this to be your condition and your portion, you are the
men that are under the law — that are under the curse of it. I
know, although you may think to wind yourselves out of the ex-
ti'emity of the curse, or from the rod of the law, by your strict-
ness and exactness, and grow up to perfection in your obedience;
yet all your perfection of obedience shall not be able to except
you from the lash, till you have attained to such, that hath not
one iot or tittle of failing or deviation at all ; for if you fall in
one tittle, you are gone for ever; for the law, as it attends
great faults, so it attends little failings too; and, if you give
it power over you, when you commit great sins, it will take power
to itself, to whip, to curse you for small sins too.
I will come to discover what the freedom is, from the bondage
Christ speaks of here ; I say, this freedom is from all this bond-
asfe under sin and the law. First, Christ exempts men and dis-
charges them, and acquits them from all the menaces, and
threatenings, and all the bitter language that the law pronounces
against the transgressors of it. Mark well what I say. Every
person made free by Christ, is freed and exempted, that the law
cannot, must not pronounce one curse against him : there is not
one of all the curses in it, that belongs to such a man that is
made free by Christ. This seems strange, #at the law should
not dare to pronounce the curse, where sin is committed ; but
not so strange as true ; the freemen of Christ, when they trans-
gress the law, as in all things they sin, yet when they sin, there
is no curse, no menaces, no threatenings of the law to be exe-
cuted upon them : should I come to instance, peradventure I
should give offence to some ; I would not willingly give offence
to any ; but the truth, as it is in Jesus, must not be concealed for
fear of the anger of those that are enemies unto Christ : let nie
therefore tell you, suppose a member of Christ, a free-man of his
NO LICENTIOUS DOCTRINB. ISl
should happen to fall, not only by a falling or a slip ; but also by
a gross failing, a heavy failing ; nay, a scandalous falling into
sin* ; Christ making a person free, disannuls, frustrates, and
makes void every cursef and sentence that is in the lavi^, that is
against such a transgressor ; that this member of Christ is no
more under the curse when he hath transgressed;|;, than he was
before he transgressed. Thus I say, Christ has conveyed him
beyond the reach of the curse ; it concerns him no more than if
he had not transgressed. For the illustration of this I beseech
you to consider one thing, it is familiar to you, and the case is
the same with Christ's free-men; suppose there are two men,
equally guilty of felony and murder, both of them come to their
arraignment ; one of them hath his discharge or pardon from the
king, having received satisfaction in his behalf; the other hatli
eceived no discharge at all. The judge goes on to pronounce
he sentence according to the law ; thou shalt go from hence to
the place from whence thou camest, and from thence to the
place of execution there to be hanged : now mark, these are two
men equal in transgression ; and therefore in themselves equally
deserving the same sentence of execution ; when the judge pro-
nounces the justice of the law upon the one transgressor, he hath
not his discharge, he lies under the sentence ; but the other hath
his discharge§, and therefore the judge speaks not a word of this
sentence to him ; I say again, the judge dares not speak a word
of this sort to him ; and when the man that is pardoned hears
the sentence, he may hear it as the doom of his fellow; but he
hears nothing of it concerning himself; so it is with the free-man
of Christ, he may fall into the same sin that a reprobate falls
into, (as Noah was once drunk, David did once commit adultery
and murder) but as this man is the free-man of Christ, the curse
cannot attack him: though the law say to the reprobate, that
hath not freedom by Christ, thou shalt certainly be damned for
* Throu'^h ignorance, weakness of the flesh, and the power of Satan's temptations.
t Gal. iii. 13.
I Sin often separates between God and his own people, with respect to communion,
but never with respect to union to him or interest in him ; for he knew what they
would be when he set his love upon them : his love broke through all the corruption*
of nature and sins of life in their conversion ; and appears to continue the same from
the strong expressions of his grace to them, notwithstanding all their backslidings.
Now this does not suppose that God loves sin, nor does it give any encouragement to
it ; for though it cannot separate from interest in God, yet it often does from the ?n-
joynncnt of him.
§ John viii. 36. Rom. viii, 1, and x. ^.
k2
133' CHRISTIANT LIBKRTV
this ; yet the law cannot say one word of this to him that i5 a
free-man, though he connnit tlie same fault, and be guilty of the
same punishment ; and the ground of all this is, that Christ
hath made him free* from it. Therefore, let me tell you in a
word; if you be free-men of Christ, you may esteem all the
curses of the law, as no more concerning you, than the laws ot
England concern Spain, or the laws of Turkey an Englishman,
with whom they have nothing to dof. I do not say the law is
absolutely abolished, but it is abolished in respect of the curse of
it, to every person that is a free-man of Christ ; so though such a
man sin, the law hath no more to say to him than if he had not
sinned. Beloved, Christ is a sanctuary, he is a privileged place
to every one of his free-men ; the law is not abl'e to serve, or
rather it is disabled from serving a writ ad capiendum, upon the
person that is walking in Christ, and keeps himself within those
bounds ; " He that continues in my word is my disciple, and the
truth shall make him free." If you abide in Christ, and keep in
Christ, no serjeant of the law dares come in to serve a writ ; no
accusation of the law can come in against you. Look what the
apostle triumphing saith, Rom. viii. 33, 34, " Who shall lay any
thing to the charge of God's elect ? It is God that justifieth,
who shall condemn ? it is Christ that died, yea, rather that is
risen again." Mark well I pray you, Paul doth not say, that the
elect never transgress ; he confesses that there is transgression :
but that which he triumphs in is, that though they transgress,
there is nothing to be laid to their charge ; no curse can come
against them, nor be executed upon them ; there is no clapping
them in gaol for their transgression.
Secondly, The free-man of Christ, as he is exempted from the
curse and rod of the law, that is become a muzzle-chapt dog, he
may pass and repass without the least snap — without the least
bite of it ; yea, though he fall;|!, yet it cannot come at him to hurt
* Rom. viii. 2.
•)■ This passage is most grossly misrepresented by Mr. Burgess, in his Vindiciie Legis,
p. l."}, who quotes it thus, " A man under grace, hath no more to do with the law than
an Englishman hath with the laws of Spain or Turkey ;" whereas the Doctor's words and
sense arc, that Christ's free-men should esteem the curses of the law, (not the law
itself) as no more concerning them, than the laws of England concern Spain, or those
of Turkey an Englishman; and to preve t any mistake, lest it should be thought that
they have nothin;; to do with the law in any sense, being freed from the curses of it,
ha adds the words that follow, which most clearly shew, that he meant not an aboli-
tion of the law in all respects, but in respect of the curse of it, and that to Chiiat'j
'ree-njen oul/. + Micali vii. 8.
NO LICKNTIOUS DOCTRINE. 183
him. So, in the second place, the Iree-man of Christ is let loose
to enjoy the free Spirit, as David calls it, in Psalm li., or tlie
comforting Spirit, as Christ calls it, in John xiv. 26. I say, this
freedom consists in this, to have free society, and free discourse,
with the free Spirit of God, so that the free-man of Christ may
hear all the gracious language provided in the rich thoughts of
God for him : he may hear, and that with application to him-
self, that his iniquities are blotted out as a cloud ; that God will
remember his sins no more; that they are cast into the bottom of
the sea ; they are laid all upon Christ ; that the Lamb of God took
them all away ; that the blood of Christ cleanseth him from all
sins. It is a marvellous freedom indeed, to have this participa-
tion of communion with this free Spirit of Christ, to hear such
comfortable language, to raise up a drooping spirit, to satisfy a
lang-uishmg soul.
Thirdly, The free-man of Christ nath this freedom, that Christ
doth all his work for him. as well as in him. He that is in bond-
age under the law, as I told you before, must do every thing him-
self, and that he doth, he must do perfectly ; that is an insupport-
able thing, and heavy bondage, for a man to have more laid upon
hini' than his strength is able to bear. The free-man of Christ,
considering that he is weak, poor, and unable to work, Christ
doth all his work for him. In Isa. xxvi. 12, the Holy Ghost tells
us, he hath done all our works in us ; and in the margin the
words are rendered, he hath done all our works for us. But,
look in Rom. v. 19, you will plainly see this freedom of the free-
men of Christ, that they stand righteous in the sight of God, by
that which he hath done for them. Christ hath so- wrought for
them, that they are as righteous, as if they had done all in their
own persons: -'As by the disobedience ot one, many were made
sinners, so by the obedience of one many are made righteous."
Look here, and you shall see that Christ doth all the work for his
freemen, that they should do for themselves ; as if a man were
commanded to bring in a thousand bricks by such a day, or else
to have the strapado ; another man brings in all his bricks fop
him, while he doth not one for himself. What the other man
doth for him is accepted as a full tale, even for this man, thou<>-h
he doth nothing himself. Even so it is with the free-men of
Christ, he doth all for them thtit God requires of them to be
done; and the righteousness of Christ stands in that manner
134 CHRISTIAN LIBERTY
theirs, as iP they had done it themselves: " For by the obedience
of one many are made righteous," not by obedience in their own
persons, but by the obedience of one man, Christ; even by tho
obedience of him alone, we stand thus righteous before God.
But some will say, By this it seems we take away all endea-
vours and employment from believers, the free-men of Christ.
Doth Christ do every thing for them ? Do they stand righteous
before God, in respect of what he hath done for them ? Then
they may sit still : they may do what they list.
I answer, Will you deny this, that we are righteous with God,
and that we are righteous with God by the righteousness ot
Christ ? Or is it by our own righteousness ? Then mark what
the apostle saith, Rom. x. 3, 4, " They (saith he, speaking of
the Jews), going about to establish their own righteousness, have
not submitted themselves to the righteousness of God, for Christ
is the end of the law for righteousness, to every one that be-
lieveth." Either you must disclaim Christ's righteousness, or
you must disclaim your own ; for, if the gift of God " be of
grace, then it is not of works, else work is no more work; and, if
it be of works, it is no more of grace, otherwise grace is no more
grace," Rom. xi. 6.
But you will say further to me (for, except a man be a mere
Papist, I am sure he cannot deny but that the righteousness by
which I stand righteous before God, is the righteousness Christ
doth for me, and not that I do for myself), you will ask me, I
say. Doth not this take off all manner of obedience and all manner
of holiness 1
I answer, and thus much I say. It takes them off from those
ends which they aim at in their obedience : namely. The end for
which Christ's obedience served : as much as to say. Our stand-
ing righteousness, by what Christ hath done for us, concerns us
in point ofjustification, consolation, and salvation. We have our
justification, our peace, our salvation, only by the righteousness
Christ hath done for us : but this doth not take away our obe-
dience, nor our services, in respect of those ends for which such
are now required of believers. We have yet several ends for
duties and obedience, namely. That they may glorify God, and
evidence our thankfulness, that they may be profitable to men,,
that they may be ordinances wherein to meet with God, to make
good what ho hath promised. So far we are called out to ser-
NO LICENTIOUS DOCTRINE. 135
vices, and walking uprightly, sincerely, exactly, and strictly,
according to the good pleasure of God ; and, in regard ot such
ends, there is a gTacious freedom that the free-men of Christ have
by him ; that is, so far forth as services and obediences are ex-
pected at the free-man's hand, for the ends that I have named,
there is Christ, by his Spirit, present with those that are free-
men, to help them in all such kind of services, so that " they be-
come strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might," to do
the will of God. Mark what the apostle speaks: " I am able to
do all things through Christ that strengthens me. Of myself
(saith he) I am able to do nothing ; but with Christ, and through
him that strengthens me, I am able to do all things." He that is
Christ's free-man hath always the strength of Christ present, an-
swerable to that weight and burthen of employment God calls
him forth unto. " My grace (saith Christ) shall be sufficient for
thee, and my strength shall be made perfect in weakness." As
you are free-men of Christ, you may confidently rest upon it,
that he " will never fail you, nor forsake you," when he calls you
forth into employments. But you that are under the law, there
is much required of you, and imposed upon you, but no help to
be expected. You must do all by your own strength ; the whole
tale of brick shall be exacted of you, but no straw shall be given
you. But you, that are free-men of Christ, he will help you: he
will oil your wheels, fill your sails, and carry you upon eagles'
wings, that you shall run and not be weary, walk and not faint.
So, then, the free-men of Christ, having him and his Spirit for
their life and strength, may go infinitely beyond the exactest
legalist in the world, in more cheerful obedience than they can
perform. He that walks in his own strength can never steer his
business so well and so quickly, as he that hath the arms, the
strength, and the principles of the great God of heaven and
earth ; as he that hath this great Supporter, this wise Director,
this mighty Assister, to be continually by him. There is no
burthen, you shall bear, but, by this freedom you have him to
put his own shoulder to it to bear it up.
It is wonderful to consider, that Christ should groan under
the burthen laid upon him by his Father, when he cried out,
" My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me ?" And yet
Paul and Silas should sing for joy, when their bodies were co-
vered with gore-blood by reason of stripes : how comes th'S io
136' CHRISTIAN LIBERTY
pass, was Paul stronger than Christ ? If not, why was he so
joyful, and Christ so sad ? God withdrew himself from Christ,
and therefore, he saith, " My God, my God, why hast thou for-
saken me?" But the strength of Christ was present with Paul,
that this very imprisonment was a palace and recreation to him ;
Christ bare all the burthens for him. Oh ! were you but the
free-men of Christ, and did you but know it, every affliction
Avould be but a' flea-biting ; for he would bear all your duties
and burthens for you ; he would stand under the greatest weight
that can be laid upon you, and bear it oif your backs ; the
greatest burthen should never make you stoop, because there is
a sufficient strength to bear it up. There may be a heavy bur-
then laid upon the back of a child, and yet it may with ease ^go
under it ; because there is a greater strength that bears it up, it
doth not lie upon the child. So long as Christ bears up your
weight, it shall be easy to you. You know there is a ceremony in
use among us, for men to carry the corpse of their friends to the
grave ; for fashion's sake they go under the corpse ; but there
are bearers appointed that bear all the weight upon their shoul-
ders : so Christ beare all for his free-men ; and this is the free-
dom men have by him, that if they are to bear any burthens, he
comes and bears all for them ; and they go as easily under them-,
as if they had none upon them at all.
You shall find the free-men of Christ, that they have also the
constant attendaiice of the free Spirit of Christ waiting upon
them. When Christ hath made any man free, he sends his
Spirit from heaven, first to acquaint the soul with all that he
hath done for him ; and not to bring good news and be gone
again ; but, after the good news is brought, he waits and attends
upon this free-man in all his journeys and travels to those man-
sions that Christ hath prepared for him ; that so in the way, if
he should faint, he would refresh him with the water of life to
fetch it again ; and, in case it grows weak and fails, the Spirit
attends to administer cordials, to revive, and to renew the
strength of this man again that thus fails ; and, in case it grow
weary, the Spirit is sent to take it up into his arms, into his
bosom ; in case the way is tedious, the Spirit is sent to take off
the tediousness of the way with sweet discourse, telling him.
what things are laid up in fulness of pleasures and glory, telling
laim what welcome there will be at his coming home; when there
NO LICENTIOUS DOCTRINE. 131
are many byeways in his way, that there may be no going out of
the way, he will direct him, and lead him by the hand, and
nevei* leave him, till he hath delivered him up into the hands of
Christ, and carried him unto mansions in glory*.
Lastly, In a word, to speak of that. Who these free-men of
Christ are. No man knows them, but only those that Christ
takes out of bondage. Time will not give me leave to be large
here ; would you have any means how you may come to be the
free-men of Christ? know this, that there is no consideration in
the business of Christ, for the making of men free, but only
their bondage in which they are. The sum is tliis, beloved, in
brief, Christ doth not look that you should come forth and meet
him, to mediate, or intercede, or beg, or bring a price in your
hands, that you may be his free-men ; but he looks upon per-
sons as they are bound up, as helpless, as unable to will or do
any thing; and, for his own compassion's sake, he takes up
these, when they little dream, or think they ever shall be set at
liberty.
But, you will say, all shall not be freed that are in bondage :
how shall I then know, that I am one of the number of Christ's
free-men ?
I answer, " He that believeth shall be saved :" if the Lord
give but to thy spirit, now truly to believe, thou art the very
man for whom Christ was sent to proclaim liberty ; I say, if
thou canst believe and roll thyself upon him, cleave to him, and
say, " I will not let thee go ;" this is security enough ; Christ
was sent to deliver thee : " He that cometh unto me, I will in
no wise cast him out." I beseech you, consider, (the Lord God,
in the abundant riches of his grace, give closing spirits to some
of you at this time,) You think there must be a great deal of
pains, by your endeavours, and on your parts, to have this free-
dom ; but Christ doth not look for your pains ; he came to save
those that could not tell which way to turn themselves. And if
the Scripture be true, (as most certainly it is) if thou believest
he is thine, if thou believe with all thy heart, thy sins are for-
given thee ; (though the very believing itself doth not f infeoffe
you in this freedom) but, if you would know, whether you havs
• Psalm xlviii. 14. and Ixxiii. 24.
+ Intitle to it, interest in it, or invest with it.
138 men's own righteousness
any part in this freedom or not, believing in the Lord Christ is
a sufficient manifestation. Do but catch hold of him, to have
thy deliverance by him, he must forsake himself, and deny hi s
truth, if he cast or throw thee off.
SERMON IX.
men's own righteousness their grand idol.
ROMANS X. 3.
FOR THEY BEING IGNORANT OF GOd's RIGHTEOUSNESS, AND
GOING ABOUT TO ESTABLISH THEIR OWN RIGHTEOUSNESS,
HATE NOT SUBMITTED THEMSELVES TO THE RIGHTEOUSNESS
OF GOD.
Provident and well-wishing pilots, observing the rocks on
which many ignorant and heedless passengers have split and sunk,
and where they themselves have escaped but narrowly, use to set
up sea-marks as cautions or warnings to such as shall come after,
that by other men's harms they may learn to be wary. It is the
apostle's very practice in this place ; in the former part of this
epistle, and especially in chap. ix. he mightily contends for the
free grace of God unto peace, life, and salvation, without works :
" The children being yet unborn, having done neither good nor
evil, but that the purpose of God might stand according to
election, not of works, but of grace; it was said, Jacob have I
loved, Esau have I hated: he will have mercy on whom he will
have mercy, and whom he will he hardens :" I say, this is the
main doctrine that he preacheth, from the beginning of the
epistle, to the closure of chap ix.
Then he comes upon the Jews with an argument to their re-
proach : " The Gentiles that followed not after righteousness,
have attained unto righteousness, when they themselves that did
follow after righteousness could not attain it :" and he gives the
reason why they that pressed so hard after it could not attain it ;
" Because they sought it not by faith, but, as it were, by the
THEIR GRAND IDOL. 139
works of the law." Why, what hurt was there in that, will some
say ? The apostle answereth, that hereby " they stumbled at
that stumbling-block, as it is written; I lay in Sion a
stumbling-stone, and a rock of offence :" This it seems was the
rock of offence ; they would have their righteousness set up to
do them good, and this they sought as it were by the works of
the law.
But some men might think that the apostle had a bitterness of
spirit, or some malice against his own brethren, and that this was
but the fruit of it ; therefore in the beginning of this chapter, he
clears himself from any such base ends in his ministry : for his
part he wishes with all his heart, it may be well with them ; " My
heart's desire, and prayer for Israel is, that they may be saved ;'*
nay, so far as he may speak well of them, and the most he can
say, he will; and he will not conceal any thing: in verse 2, he
confesses, nay he bears witness to it, that " they had a zeal of
God ;" but yet he must not dissemble, he must deal friendly,
though ever so plainly ; though they had a zeal of God, " Yet it
was not according to knowledge."
And because he had taxed them with ignorance, here in the
text ; he discovers what this ignorance of theirs was ; and what
the fearful and desperate fruits of it were ; that whereof they were
ignorant, was " God's righteousness, being ignorant of the
righteousness of God ;" the fruit of it is twofold, both very bitter,
the one immediately issuing from the other.
Fii'st, This ignorance of God's righteousness put them upon a
fearful mistake : " They go about, (upon this,) to establish
their own righteousness."
Secondly, And that mistake put them upon another as bad as
that, if not worse ; therefore they submitted not to the righteous-
ness of God.
The proposition the words afford us, is briefly this, (for we
will sum up the whole verse into one head) namely ; " That ig-
norance of God's righteousness puts men upon these two dan-
gerous mischiefs, an establishing of their own righteousness, and
not submitting themselves to the righteousness of God."
Men will establish their own righteousness ; they will not sub-
mit to the righteousness of God, while they are ignorant of it.
Beloved, they were not so easily misled, as we are apt to follow
them, having gone before us; we are like sheep leaping without
140 men's own righteousnkss
looking, if any leap before us ; it hath been the rock of offeiire
a stumbling-stone from the beginning to this day, and will be to
the end of the world ; there will be an establishing of our own
rio-hteousness, without submitting to the righteousness of God,
while there is an ignorance of this righteousness.
Now, tliat we may take warning, and so escape the danger,
tliat they have felt the smart of already, it will be requisite wo
take into consideration.
First, What this righteousness of theirs and ours is, that they
did, and we are apt to go about to establish.
Secondly, What it is to go about to establish this our righ-
teousness.
Thirdly, What this righteousness of God is that they did not
j'ubmit unto.
Fourthly, What it is, not to submit unto this righteousness of
God.
Fifthly, What this ignorance is, from whence both these fear-
ful evils issue, the establishing of our own righteousness, and
not submitting to the righteousness of God.
And, Lastly, What the issue in the end will prove. Of these,
or as many of these as the time will permit in their order.
To begin with the first, What is that righteousness of theirs
and ours, that the apostle complains of, that being established, is
a rock of offence ?
I am not ignorant, that the eyes of some persons are only, or
most, upon a righteousness of man's own devising and contriv-
ing ; such a righteousness as never came into God's thoughts ; a
righteousness according to the precepts and traditions of men ;
such a righteousness as our Saviour, in Matt. xv. 9, taxeth the
Pharisees withal, who " Taught for doctrines the traditions of
men ;" and by their own traditions, as much as in them la}', made
void the commandments of God ; this kind of righteousness in
our time proceeds from the presumption of men, that dare put
any thing of their own, without warrant and commission from
God, into the worship and service of God ; charging things upon
men as duties of religion, that God binds not men unto : for my
own part, I am clear of the mind, that this kind of righteousness
is far from the righteousness of God, the apostle here sjDeaks of;
and that it is the highest presumption that a man can possibly
take upon himself, to set himself so in the place of God, as not
THEIR GRAND IDOL. ..41
only, not to command from him, but also to command without
and against him : law-givers hold themselves then most disparaged
and contemned, when any inferior will take upon him to make
faws without them, or against them. It will lie heavy when it
shall once come to an account, not only upon the actors, but also
upon those that may be the redressers, if this kind of righteous-
ness established by some be not brought down, and laid in the
dust.
But, under favour, I conceive that the apostle aims at a more
sublime righteousness, than the righteousness in the precepts of
men ; he speaks of such a righteousness, which some it may be
are too forward to establish, who yet abhor to establish the other,
we have now spoken of: the righteousness the apostle complains
of being established, is not the righteousness of man's making,
but of God's own making, a righteousness according to his own
-will; I mean a righteousness consisting in obedience to the
■things that God himself hath commanded unto men ; a righteous-
ness which is a walking in all the commandments of God, though
it be in a way of blamelessness ; this very righteousness, I say,
is that, which being established, proves a stumbling-stone, and a
Tack of offence to all that shall establish it.
This may seem harsh, beloved, at first, but I shall make it
clear to you from the apostle's own interpretation of himself, who
best knew his own mind: that this is the righteousness he here
speaks of, mark but the words immediately following the text,
chap. X. 4, " For, (saith he,) Christ is the end of the law for
righteousness to every one that believeth ;" to what purpose doth
he bring this passage, that Christ is the end of the law ; but that
by these words he might confute their vanity, who think to es-
tablish their own righteousness in the fulfilling of the law ? As
if he should say, you think by your keeping the law, by your
righteousness you perform, you can attain to the end of it, that so
you may obtain the grace and goodness of the Lord ; but it is in
vain, it is not you that can reach the end of the law ; neither
doth God aim at it that you should reach it, but he hath consti-
tuted and ordained Christ to be the end of it. Therefore the
righteousness of God must be the righteousness of Christ ; the
righteousness that God aims at is perfect, a righteousness that
reaches to the very end of the law ; your righteousness can never
•«ac]j to the end of it : it is Christ's alone tho,t doth it.
142 MEN'S OWN RIGHTEOUSNESS
And yet again, in verse 5, the apostle clears more fully what he
means by our righteousness, for there he begins to make the dis-
tinction between our righteousness, and the righteousness of God,
explaining what they both are : Moses, saith he, describing the
rio-hteousness of the law, saith thus, (that which he calls our own
righteousness, in verse 4, from Moses, he calls the righteousness
of the law, in verse 5,) " He that doth those things shall even
live in them :" and if you will look into Levit xviii. 5, you shall
there see what the righteousness of the law is, which the apostle
speaks of in this place : and if you observe but the margin of
your bible, you shall find this very text, in verse 5, is wisely re-
ferred to that of Leviticus, " You shall keep my statutes, and
do my judgments ; which if a man do, he shall even live in
them," See, the apostle makes use of the very phrase, " he that
doth them shall live through them, and in them." It is the
righteousness of the law, saith he ; it is the keeping of God's
statutes, and doing of God's judgments, saith Moses, By this,
you may see what righteousness it is, that the Lord by the apos-
tle speaks of ; a righteousness that consists in doing the statutes
and judgments of the Lord.
And if you will but consider in Luke xviii. 11, 12, the condi-
tion of the pharisee, Christ speaks of, who went up into the
temple to pray as the publican did ; in him you shall see, I say,
and easily perceive, what the righteousness was, that they went
about to establish ; for there the pharisee justifies himself in
respect of many particular branches of the law : " I thank thee,
(saith he) I am not as other men are, an extortioner, unjust, an
adulterer, nor as this publican : I fast twice in the week, I pay
tithes of all that I possess. Mark it well, I pray, see what it is
that he pleads for, as that which must prevail with God for good
to him; it is his own righteousness; and what is that ? It is a
righteousness according to the law ; it is a righteousness of
piety, of justice ; " I fast twice in the week, I am no extortioner,
nor unjust person, nor adulterer," &c. Now hear Christ's answer
concerning this pharisee ; you shall see what he thinks of this
righteousness he speaks of; " The publican went away rather
justified than he ;" and the reason is, because he did go in the
strength of this righteousness of his, to speed with God; his ex-
pectation was from this : it was not a righteousness of his own de-
vising and contriving ; but a righteousness according to God's law.
THEIR GRAND IDOL. 143
If you look further into Philip, iii. you shall find, the apostle
speaks fully to the case in hand, instancing in himself, in verse
5, 6, 7, where he gives an account of his estate, in which he was
before the time of his conversion. First, he saith; he had a zeal
for God, and that put him on so hot, that he persecuted the
church of God, merely out of ignorance ; for, saith he of himself,
" I did it ignorantly :" and " concerning the righteousness of
the law (saith he) I was blameless ;" mark that passage well ;
as all this was before conversion ; afterwards he tells us, this
was in the time of his ignorance, wherein he made full account
that this righteousness of his was his gain ; but, saith he, " what
was gain to me, I accounted loss ; yea, and I suffer the loss of
all things, that I may be found in Christ, not having mine own
righteousness, which is by the law." By all these passages,
I say, put together, wherein the apostle so fully expounds him-
self, it plainly appears, that the righteousness of the law, the
establishing whereof, he here taxeth, as a dangerous mistake,
and a fruit of ignorance, is that, wherein men walk according to
God's own law blamelessly.
I am not ignorant, beloved, how this assertion goeth under
the foul blur of Antinomianism, that blameless walking accord-
ing to the law, being established, is a fruit of ignorance, and a
cause of men's not " submitting to the righteousness of God."
And no marvel it goes for such now ; for, in the apostle's tijne
it was accounted so ; nay, it was objected against the apostle
himself as direct Antinomianism : and, therefore, he was en-
forced to vindicate himself thus, " Do we make void the law,
(saith he) through faith ? God forbid !" He takes away the
objection they put to him, upon his establishing of God's righte-
ousness, and his overthrowing our righteousness. It was ob-
jected, that hereby he went about to make void the law ; and,
therefore, it is no marvel it holds still as an objection, that the
maintaining of this principle is the overthrowing of the law. But,
beloved, I must say to you, as the apostle did in the same case,
" God forbid! yea, we establish the law," that is to say, in its
right place. It takes men off from performing duties to corrupt
ends, and from the bad use they are apt to make of them,
namely, idolizing their own righteousness. And, therefore, he
doth not condemn the use of the' law, and our righteousness,
simply : that which he speaks against here, is the establishing of
144 men's own righteousness
our righteousness. Our own righteousness is good in its kino,
and for its own proper uses ; but then it proves a fruit of sin,
ignorance, and a dangerous stumbling-block, and an idol, when
we ffo about to establish it.
I come, therefore, to the second thing, which is to clear this
truth more fully, namely. What it is to establish this righteous-
ness ; or what establishing the apostle drives at in this place ?
For the clearing of which, the antithesis, or the opposition,
that he sets, will give you a great deal of light to understand his
meaning and purpose here, by " going about to establish their
own righteousness, and not submitting to the righteousness of
God." He speaks here, therefore, of such an establishing of our
righteousness, according to the law, as to bring it into the room,
and stead, or place of God's righteousness. It is such an estab-
lishing of it, as that for it we cannot, nor will not admit, that the
righteousness of God should do its office. So far forth, then, as
any righteousness of ours encroaches upon the privileges and
prerogatives of the righteousness of God, so that that cannot do
its own work, or at least must be circumscribed in doing it, by
this, so far is there an establishing of our own righteousness,
which is a .fruit of ignorance, and is a stumbling-block, and a
rock of offence.
It will be worth the while, therefore, to consider. When out
righteousness is said truly to be established in the room and stead
of the righteousness of God. This will be cleared by the consi-
deration of the main scope and drift of men, in the performing of
the righteousness which they establish. When men put that upon
their own righteousness, which should have been put upon God's
only ; when men make that the sanctuary and refuge that God's
righteousness only should be, then is it set up as a grand idol,
and established in the room and place of God's righteousness.
To clear the case to you, by some particular instances : it is a
thing of great importance, as at all times, so now at this time of
eminent danger, the sword being over our heads, and over the
whole nation (the Lord having revealed to the spirits of men, by
his truth,* that in case of eminent danger, there should be a, great
deal of zeal to God) ; that the people of God should be put
mightily on, to deal with God in this present extremity and ne-
cessity ; but, I am afraid, many have a zeal of Ood^ in this very
case, but yet, not according to knowledge ; for that too man.v
THEIR GRAND IDOL, 145
(ignorantly and zealously, I confess, yet, 1 say, too many), in this
zeal to God, for their own safety and security, too much establish
their own righteousness : and, I fear, if there be a miscarriao-e
after so many fasting-days, and so much praying and seekino-
God, that the fruits will be the establishing of our own rio-hte-
ousness, in the room and place of the righteousness of God. As,
for example, when sin abounds, whether personally or generally
what is the way to get off, or get out of such transgression ? I
appeal to your own spirits, you that are spiritual; is not this your
«nd, you propound ? To fast, and pray, and mourn it out ; this is
that which must bring you a discharge of your sins ; this is that
which must bring you tidings that God will be pacified towards
you, that God will turn away his anger from you ; if you do but
fast spiritually, mourn bitterly, pray zealously with strength of
spirit, this is that that shall overcome God.
I ask, or I beseech you rather ask your own spirits (I mean
still, you that are spiritual), Do not your hearts run out continu-
ally this way ? Do they, or do they not? What, then, mean all the
complaints of yours upon the defects of your fastings, your humi-
liation, self-denial, and the subduing (jf your corruptions? That
this is that which pulls down the wrath of God upon us ; is not
this common among us, as long as men do not mend, there is no
hope that God will ? And, if every man would mend one, this is
the way to redress the evil of the times ? Beloved, let me deal
plainly and freely with you ; they that put deliverance from sia
and wrath, upon the spiritual performances of that righteousness,
which the law commands them, they put that righteousness in the
room and place of the righteousness of God ; they make it as
great an idol as can be ; for they make it to be that which God's
righteousness only is. I speak not against the doing of any
righteousness according to the will of God revealed. Let that
mouth be for ever stopped, that shall be opened to blame the law
that is holy, just, and good; or shall be the means to discourage
people from walking in the commandments of God blameless *.
All that I speak is this. That it will prove a rock of offence Ib
the end, if it be not turned from ; namely. That we should expect
that our own righteousness should bring down a gracious answer
from God to our spirits ; that when we have done our work, in
effect, that must prove our mediator and messenger from God;
• Ib this Antinomianistn ? Or, can such a preacher be called an Antinoirjan *
1'48' MEN*S OWN WIGHTK0U8NESS
and, as that will speak, so will we have peace, or remain in bit-
terness of spirit. What can the righteousness of God himself
do more than this, to have power with God, to prevail over God
for good to us ?
Beloved, although some, peradventure, may magnify per-
formances done in a spiritual way with attributes and titles even
of God's own peculiar ; I mean with attributes of omnipotency
and invincibleness ; certainly there is no omnipotency but in
God himself, and the righteousness that is God's own ; the best
righteousness that ever any man could act, or perform in all his
life, is not able to divert the least effect of sins, or wrath, or
procure or obtain the least smile of favour from God. You
know, that " God is a God of purer eyes, and cannot behold
iniquity ;" you know, that iniquity is that which separates be-
tween God and a people ; now what is the perfectest righteous-
ness which the best man upon earth performs ? Is it not full oi
unrighteousness and iniquity ? " All our righteousnesses (saith
the prophet Isaiah) are but as filthy rags ;" and, saith the apostle,
" I account all as dung that I may win Christ, and be found in
him, not having my own righteousness," Is there dung and
filth in the best of man's righteousness ; and can this righteous-
ness have power with God, and prevail over him ?
Look upon Christ himself, when he did bear the sins of many,
upon his own person ; he himself was deserted and forsaken ol
God, " My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me ?" Is
Christ forsaken, when the sins of men are upon him, and shall
men's persons be accepted and received in respect of such an
act of theirs that carries sinfulness in the face of it 1 Nay, that
carries an universal leprosy in the nature of it ? Suppose your
righteousness were a fulfilling of the whole law of God, if you
fail but in one point, that very failing in one point, makes vou
guilty of the breach of all the rest ; and, when men stand guilty
before God, shall they plead that which is full of guilt, to pro-
cure favour, mercy, or grace from him 1 No, no, the sacrifice oi
God, which is accepted of him, must be a male lamb, and " a
lamb without blemish;" till, therefore, you can purge your
righteousness, and separate all iniquity from it, know that all
your righteousness in its own nature doth but separate you from
God ; so far is it from prevailing with him.
Surlily, will some say, the righteousness that is performed ac-
THKIH GRAND IDOL. 147
cording to the will of God, pleases him, and moves and melts
him, and prevails with him to do this and that good to his people.
I answer, Too many people in the world too much stint the
will of God, so much spoken of when they speak of a righteous-
ness according to it, or a righteousness to do it; what is it ? It
is true indeed, righteousness done according to the will of God,
infinitely prevails with God ; but shew me the man that eaii
perform it, a mere man without Christ ? Shew me a man that
€ver did, or ever can do this, acting righteousness according lo
the will of God ? " Of myself," saith Paul, " I can do nothing:"
*' without me," sakh Christ, " ye can do nothing;" nay, the apos-
tle goes further, " How to perform that which is good, I find not,"
Eom. vii. 18, whilst men conceive that the will of God consists
only in the materials of righteousness; peradventure they may
think theirs is according to it ; but alas the materials of righteous-
ness, are but the least part of the will of God wherewith he is
pleased : now to do an act partly with the will of God, and partly
against it, is this to do an act according to it ? To do something
that God calls for at your hands in some things, and to walk
directly contrary to him in others ; is this to do his will ? Sup-
pose for the matter, the righteousness you do, be according to
the will of God, that you do the thing that he calls for of you ; as
for instance, you fast, and pray, and the like ; do you do these
things according to the will of God, because the outward act is
done ? The will of God extends to the manner of doing, to
the disposition of the person that is to do, as well as to the
matter : as in Isaiah i. were not "New moons, and sabbaths, and
solemn assemblies," God's own ordinances 1 And was not the
performance of them materially according to the will of God 1
Yet, nevertheless, God loathed this service of righteousness ; he
was weary of it, he could not bear it ; there was sinfulness mixed
with it ; " Your hands are full of blood," saith the Lord ; and
therefore, though the things were materially according to his will,
yet his soul abhorred them, being done amiss.
Suppose men go further than simply doing things according
to the will of God materially ; they do not only the things, but
do them spiritually, with enlargedness of heart and affection ;
you fast, and you fast with bitterness of spirit, you eat bitter
herbs in fasting; you mourn, and you mourn bitterly for 3'our
^ransgressiouB ; you pray, and pray zealously, in the heat aai
l2
148' men's own righteousness
fer^ our of your spirits : now if all this be not done in faith, it i
abominable ; " without faith, it is impossible to please God ; he
that comes to God, must believe that he is, and that he is a re-
warder of them that seek him :" he that hath performed a duty,
and expects from that performance, an answer according to his
mind, he doth not do it in faith ; for " we must do all we do in the
name of our Lord Jesus Christ," saith the apostle ; and ' " when
we have done all, must say, we are unprofitable servants ;^' and
it must be Christ alone that must prevail with the Father for us :
all our righteousness will prevail nothing at all with God, nor
move him a jot, except it be to pull down wrath : there is not
one act of righteousness that a person doth, but when that is
finished, there is more transgression belonging to him, than
before he had performed it : and there is no composition, there
is no buying out of evil by good doings ; the doing of good doth
not make a recompence for what sin doth ; we pay but our debts
in doing good ; so that as there is a new righteousness per-
formed, there is still a new reckoning added to the former ; by
acting of righteousness, you make up a greater number of sins *
than before ; so that it is only Christ from whom we must have
the expectation of success, in whatsoever thing we desire.
In a word, let a man's righteousness be never so exact ; yet
that is not according to the will of God, which hath not God's
ends, which he proposeth in the doing of righteousness : you
shall find the general rule of Christ and his apostles, to be this,
that what we do, we must not only do it in the name of Christ,
but also to the Lord, and for the Lord : " Being delivered out
of the hands of our enemies, let us serve him in holiness and
righteousness ;" it is not, let us serve ourselves in holiness and
righteousness, but let us serve him ; " You are bought with a
price, therefore," saith the apostle, " glorify God in your
bodies and spirits, for they are God's ;" he doth not say, being
bought with a price, let us now seek our own good, as if we
were still our own men ; as if we had now liberty to trade for
our own selves ; you are " not your oWn," and therefore not your
own, because you are "bought with a price ;" therefore "glorify
God in your bodies and spirits," It is most certainly true, that
God having provided through Christ all things appertaining to
life and godliness for his people ; thereby calls them off from
• Roro. aW, 23.
THEIR GRAND IDOL. 149
all self-ends, and bye-respects in his services, to have only re-
spect to him in them ; he hath done all that may be done for
yourselves.
But some may say, peradventure, this is a way to overthrow
all righteousness at once : what, all that ever a man doth, though
he doth ever so spiritually, though ever so exactly, to no pur-
pose, and in vain ? Doth a man get nothing by all the righte-
ousness he performs ? Then we had as good sit still, and do
nothing at all, will some say.
I answer, this is carnal reasoning indeed ; look but into the
ground of this argument, and it will discover nothing but the
selfishness of the person that makes it : I dare be bold to say,
that that man will do no righteousness, but simply for his own
sake ; who, if he should know beforehand, that his righteous-
ness will get him nothing, would therefore sit still, and do
nothing ; I dare be bold to say, he had as good sit still indeed,
and do nothing : he serves himself, not God, and though he per*
forms righteousness ever so exactly, if he serves himself, God
will never reckon that he serves him : when self is eyed, we can
never serve God ; when our commodity and advantage be not in
the thing, we will sit still.
But, beloved, though the righteousness we are to perform be
superfluous and vain, in respect of any power it hath with God,
to move him to do us good, yet it is not altogether superfluous ;
it is most true, that all the righteousness of man cannot prevail
with God to do us good ; there is but one mover of God, the
man Christ Jesus, who is the only and sole mediator. If you
will have your own righteousness to be your mediator with God,
to speak to God for you, to prevail with God for you ; what is
this, but to put it in the room and place of Christ's? What is the
mediation of Christ else, but for him to come between God and
man, and be the day's-man to lay his hand upon both, and at
once to reconcile them? and shall your righteousness be the
day's-man, and lay hands upon God and man ; then farewell
Christ and his mediatorship ; for this is the peculiar office of
Christ, to be man's mediator, and advocate with the Father, to
prevail with him for any good for us ; so far, therefore, as any
person looks after his own righteousness, to bring glad tidings
from God to him, so far a man establisheth it in the room and
place of the righteousness of God ; which proceeds from the
150 , men's own RlOHTEOUSNESS
Ignorance of that righteousness, and will in the end prove a
stumbling-block to men, and a rock of offence to them.
All this while I desire not to be mistaken : some, it may be,
will desire to know then to what use this righteousness of ours
serves, seeing it is not of power to prevail with God, " My
goodness extends not unto thee," saith David ; not to God,
but it may to men ; " my righteousness extends to the saints of
the earth, and to such as excel in virtue." Psalm xvi. 3. Our
righteousness is appointed for excellent uses, if we could be con-
tented with those God hath ordained it unto.
First, It serves as a real way to manifest our thankfulness to
God, for what we have already received of him ; in Psalm ciii.
David is excellent, " Bless the Lord, O my soul ; and all that is
within me, bless his holy name:" Why, what is the matter,
David? "Who forgiveth all thine iniquities, and healeth all
thy diseases ; who redeemeth thy life from destruction, and
crowneth thee with loving-kindness and tender mercies : " mark
it well, I pray, all that is within us must be praise, and nothing
but praise ; and the ground is this, God pardons our sins, heals
our infirmities, and supplies all our wants ; in consideration of
this, all that is within us should continually express bis praise.
Again, secondly. There is this usefulness in 'li^ namely, that
we may serve our generation ; and the apostle gives this charge,
that, " men study to obtain good works," because, saith he,
" these things are profitable unto men ; " as we may therefore
do good to men, so according to our ability, and talent received,
we must employ ourselves to the utmost for that end and pur^
pose. The heathens could say, " They were not made for them^
selves, but for others :" therefore there is this usefulness in our
righteousness, that others may receive benefit by it : " Let your
light so shine before men, that they, seeing your good works,
may glorify your Father which is in heaven ;" that men may be
drawn on to glorify God, we must shine before men in a godly
conversation.
Thirdly, It is useful, as it is the ordinance of God, wherein
the Lord hath appointed us to meet with him, and wherein he
will make good those things which before he hath promised. And
this is the very end and ground of our fasting, praying, and
mourning in our exigencies, and extremities: not that tnese
uuiies do at all prevail with God, or at all move him; for, it is
THEIR GRAND IDOL. 151
God that moves even these services, and all the spiritualness in
us in them; and therefore he moves them in us, because when
we are moved by his Spirit, and according to his will come forth
to meet him where he appoints, there he will pour out himself
in grace and love, according to his promise, not according to our
performances. Thus, I say, this great objection may be answered
easily, why we fast, and pray, and mourn in adversity, if they do
us no good ? I say, though they do us no good, yet we fast and
pray, in that the Lord saith, come to me, meet me in this and
that ordinance, and I will come with my hands full; then, and
there, I will pour out that which mine own freeness hath engaged
me to do for you : is it not injvistice not to meet him then ? We
confess our sins to him, but what is the ground of forgiveness ?
not our confession of sins, not our fastings, prayers, mourning,
and tears; but " I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy ini-
quities, for mine own name sake, and will remember thy sins no
more."
I will draw towards the conclusion. In a word, whoever he be
that is selfish in his own righteousness, and goes about to estab-
lish it in the room of God's, labouring to procure some good unto
himself thereby, and makes that righteousness do that for him,
that God's righteousness should do, so making an idol of it ;
First, He plays the most dishonest part with God that can be.
Do you profess yourselves to be the servants of God ? If you
be, what dishonesty is there in you, that you professing to serve
him, do, notwithstanding, by secret and by stealth, serve your-
selves ? If an apprentice should hide himself all day long, to
earn and gain money for himself, might not his master justly tax
him for a dishonest fellow ? Why doth the master keep him,
and find him, but that all he doth, he should do for him, and not
for himself? Are you at God's finding, or are you at your own ?
Miserable are you, that are at your own : are you at God's find-
ing then, and not at your own 1 What is it you seek for, and would
get by the righteousness you seek so eagerly after ? The truth is
there is nothing to be gotten that you have not already ; if you
have Christ, all things are yours, and you are Christ's, and Christ
is God's. Are you one of Christ's ? A man need not work for
that which is his own already ; why then do you work for that
which is yours already ? Are you in Christ, or are you not ? Do
YOU work to get into Cnrist ? Alas ! how long might men work
1.02 men's own righteousness their grand idol,
out of Christ, and work themselves into hell at last ? What can
a man get of God by all his righteousness and works, if he hath
not Christ to get it for him ? Therefore all things are yours,
because you are Christ's, or else you shall have nothing at aP
God gives nothing of gift, and of his dear love, but as men are in
Christ, and for his sake ; therefore you do but labour in vain, if
you labour for that which is yet to be produced.
But to do good to others ; " When thou art converted,
strengthen thy brethren :" let these be the ends of your services ;
work because good is already made sure to you, and not to make
it sure ; when a father settles an inheritance upon his son, he
makes the deed so, that the son shall not work for the father's
means ; because the father hath passed over all that he hath ta
his son, he serves out of love, for what he hath already receivedy
not for what is hoped for.
And as there is a dishonesty in self-seeking; so, secondly,
there is a foul blur cast upon God. Beloved, if you should see
a servant go about the streets complaining thus. Sir, help me to-
a little work, I must starve except I can work for myself: what
would you think of this man's master 1 Surely, you will say, he
is a hard master, that his servant must starve, except he seek for
himself, and purvey for himself: you that say in your hearts, you
are undone, you must perish, you are lost, except your prayers and
humbling of yourselves can get some supply ; is not this a working
for yourselves ? Is not this plain saying, there is no trusting to
God, and that we must work for ourselves, or else we shall perish.
I should come to consider the other particulars in this text ;
but time not permitting, we will wind up all in one word of ap-
plication.
We now stand before the Lord, and, among other mercies, we
expect this great mercy, salvation ; not only salvation in heaven,
but salvation from the sword : it is not, it must not be your good
doings that must procure it ; or your repentance, that must bring
it : you must not rest upon your performances to get it ; do all
that God calls for when you are in his way ; in this respect be
doing; but as for your help look up unto the hills from whence
it cometh ; your help stands in the name of the Lord, that made
heaven and earth ; and, therefore, in the expectation of help, all
your business must lie in this, " Stand still, and see the salvation
of the Lord."
SERMON X.
A ZEAL, OF GOD PROVES NOT A MAN A CHILD OI'
GOD.
ROMANS X. 2, 3, 4.
JFOR I BEAR THEM RECORD THAT THEY HAVE A ZEAL OF GOD,
BUT NOT ACCORDING TO KNOWLEDGE : FOR THEY BEING IGNO-
RANT OF god's RIGHTEOUSNESS, AND GOING ABOUT TO ES-
TABLISH THEIR OWN RIGHTEOUSNESS, HAVE NOT SUBMITTED
THEMSELVES TO THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD: FOR CHRIST
IS THE END OF THE LAW FOB RIGHTEOUSNESS, TO EVERY
ONE THAT BELIEVETH.
The, apostle, in the former chapter, more plainly and fully lays
down the absolute freeness of the grace of God alone to peace,
life, and salvation, than any where else ; clearly shewing, that
merely and only for his own good pleasure-sake, he hath mercy
on whom he will have mercy ; especially in that instance of Jacob
and Esau, he tells us plainly, that God hath no regard in the
world unto good and evil, that might be done by either of them ;
but, before ever they could do any such thing, it is expressly
written of them, " Jacob have I loved, and Esau have I hated."
And the reason, why God takes nothing into his consideration,
either good or evil done by the creature as a motive to his love,
the apostle gives there, is this, " That the purpose of God might
stand, according to election ; not of works, but of grace ;" that
is, that all the world may see that the first thoughts of God, in
his election, had no eye in the world unto any thing that the
creature might do, which should have any prevalency with him,
to sway him this way, or that way ; it was not the consideration
of Esau, as one that would be resolute and peremptory in a way
of sinfulness, that was a motive with God to reject him ; nor was
it the consideration of any propensity in the spirit of Jacob to
yield unto calling, or of any inclination in Jacob to glorify him
being called; I say, none of these considerations entered into
the thoughts of God, when he established his love, even in elec-
1541 A ZEAL OF nOD PROVES NOt
tion itself, upon Jacob ; his thoughts were merely upon his own
good pleasure within himself: as if he should see a whole heap
of creatures together, and, as it were, (if I may so speak) blind-
fold of any good the creature could have to move him ; he picked
out this and that, and the other, without respect of any difference
between them.
Then he comes into the closure of chap. ix. to shew how des-
perately his own brethren, after the flesh, the Jews did reject this
revealed will and pleasure of God, concerning good to men ; they
would have something considerable in the creature, as of pre-
valence to move God to do good to such, rather than such a one :
this very conceit, the apostle calls a stumbling-block, at which
they fell.
Now, least he should seem to speak all this out of spite, or
prejudice, or through the injuries they had done to him ; there-
fore, that he might not thus be understood, at the beginning of
this chapter he confesses, " That his heart's desire, and prayer,
was that they might be saved :" he bore no ill-will in the world
to them ; nay, he saith, " That he would be contented to be
even cut off for his brethren's sake." And, after he had acquitted
himself from sinister respects, he begins to declare the truth as
it is in Jesus ; and first he comes to tax them, and shew where
their error lay, and grants it lay not in any defect of zeal of, or
after God; " For (saith he) I bear them record, they have a zeal
of God :" if this would have served their turns, to be zealous
for God himself, there was no defect in that ; the apostle will
testify for them, that they were exceeding cordial and not in
respect of themselves, but in respect of God himself; they had
not a zeal simply for their own base ends, but had an eye to God
himself; it was a zeal of God, whether you consider it as wrought
by God, or as tending unto him ; either way, their zeal was a
zeal of God, a zeal after God. I know, that there may be a zeal
wrought by God, in respect of common mercy, or in respect of
peculiar mercy ; this was a zeal of the common mercy of God,
Thus much in effect, I have spoken heretofore upon this text :
upon which I made several enquiries : as, first. What righteous-
ness of their own this was, which they went about to establish.
Secondly, What is it to establish a man's own righteousness.
Which two, I have handled in my former discourse upon this
text. Notwithstanding, I shall, at this time, speak something
A MAN A fc^llLU OF OoD. 166
more largely concerning tho second, and so, if the time will
permit, proceed unto the rest of my enquiry ; but, by the way, I
shall speak something concerning the zeal here mentioned by the
apostle.
Therefore, before I quit these words, give me leave to tell
you, it is possible a person may have a zeal of God, and yet be
far from being a believer ; let that be the first observation : I
ground it thus ; of the Jews of whom Paul speaks, he himself
*' bears record, they had a zeal of God ;" but, in the next words
he says, " they established their own righteousness, and did not
submit to the righteousness of God." A zeal of God is not ground
or evidence enough that a person is a believer, or that he hath
received, or submitted himself to Christ. First, Beloved, be-
cause this may seem to be harsh, I beseech you to consider
seriously, how undeniable and clear the position I have laid down,
is founded in the text itself: I say, there may be a zeal of God
in an unbeliever ; so the apostle bears record of these Jews ;
there was " a zeal of God, yet not according to knowledge ;" even
when they had it, "they established their own righteousness:
they did not submit to the righteousness of God." I will not
dwell upon this point: all that I shall say on it, is only that I
may undeceive many that are very subject to deceive themselves ;
and that I may take them off from a sandy foundation : and so,
if it be possible, reduce them to a rock, who are apt to build
upon the sand.
I know, beloved, it is cried up much in the hearts of many
poor wretches ; I say, cried up much, that if they have but a zeal
of God in their hearts, it is enough to serve them for ever ; they
are believers, members of Christ ; and it is injurious unto the
people of God, as they think, to tell them. Those that have a zeal
of God in their hearts, yet, for all that, may " not submit to the
righteousness of God ;^' but stumble at the stumbling-stone, and
fall for ever.
All the difficulty, I know, lies in this, What it is for persons
to have " a zeal of God ?" Or whether there be not " a zeal of
God" in those that are believers, which is palpably discerned,
from that in those that do " not submit to the righteousness of
God ?" I grant, there is a difference ; but as this zeal of God
hath reference to our righteousness, or unto an obedience to the
law, you will hardly find a difference, A zeal of God to set up
156 ' A ZEAL OF GOO PROVES NOT
God in Christ, to give Christ the pre-eminence in all, that no-
thing is to be done with him, but only by Jesus Christ ; to throw
down every thing in the world, that offers to come in with
Christ, to deal with the Father ; I say, " a zeal of God," in this
kind, is not common to any person, that " submits not to the
righteousness of God :" but to be zealous, that is to say, to be
cordial, hearty, real, and that with fervency, and earnestness of
spirit, towards obedience to the commandments of God, and to
have an eye, in such obedience, to God himself, to seek him in
it; this, I say, is " a zeal of God," that is common unto such as
do " not submit to the righteousness of God," as well as to those
that do submit to it ; therefore, as there is a community in this
zeal, so this is not possibly able sufficiently to clear up to persons,
that because they are thus zealous, therefore they are the children
of God, and have the righteousness of Christ.
These Jews, the apostle here speaks of, (mark it well, be-
loved) were exceeding vehement, even in setting up, and pro-
moting obedience to the commandments of God, I say, with an
earnestness of spirit ; as when they offered to stone Christ himself,
(the Pharisees I mean) it was merely out of the extremity of
their zeal, and fervency of spirit, because they conceived he was
a great blasphemer, and breaker of God's will, for making him-
self equal with God : how could they contain themselves, so long
as Christ would, as they thought, usurp and presume so far, as to
take the incommunicable privileges and immunities of God him-
self? The apostle saith of himself, and of the rest of the Jews,
" If they had known it, they would not have crucified the Lord
of glory; and, (saith he,) though I persecuted the church of
God, yet I did it ignorantly." All this results to thus much, that
the mere 'encroaching upon God, as they understood, was that
which put them on so hot, eager, and violent a revenge of God's
quarrel ; so that, I say, the eye may be upon God, and, for his
sake, men may be exceeding zealous, earnest, and fervent for the
vindication of him, for the doing of his will revealed in the law ;
and yet. for all this, there may not be a submitting to the righte-
ousness that is in God.
I apply it thus, There are many people m the world, to whom
the mind of God, in the law, is made known; we must not
commit adultery, &c. simply because God commands this thing,
they refrain from the evil ; they go through all the command-
A MAN A CHILD OF GOD.
157
ments of God zealously ; they look upon it as the will of God
revealed to them, and do it for God's sake, thus imparting his
own mind ; they abstain and refrain from the evil they do, and
perform the good, because God requires it of them; yet all this
is no argument of a person's being a real member of Christ ; for
all this, he may not submit to the righteousness of Christ.
Now I will add something, according as I proposed, to that
which hath been heretofore said unto the second enquiry, namely,
how, and wherein our righteousness is established instead of the
righteousness of God. First, then, observe, that these pharisees
"went about to establish their own righteousness," saith the
apostle; this righteousness they went about to establish, what
was if? a righteousness according to the law of God; " Christ
is the end of the law to every one that believes :" as if he had
said, you, in the zeal of your spirits, think to come to the end of
the law yourselves, but mistake not, if you have in your eye the
expectation of comfort and peace, and rest in your spirits, from
the laro-eness of your spirits in the performance of those duties ;
this is enough to make you miscarry, though it be for the Lord's
sake you do it. Let me tell you, that the Lord hath so estab-
lished Christ, for the rest and life of men, that if they could
yield angelic obedience, be perfect throughout in obedience to the
whole law of God, and not fail in one point of it ; if, I say, from
such perfection of obedience they would gather up their own
comfort, or conclude their own salvation ; these persons should
be damned, as well as those that sin ever so much : for God hath
established Christ, and only his righteousness, to be the salvation
of man ; I say, only the righteousness of Christ ; that if a man
were ever so perfect, and in respect of that perfection, would leave
the righteousness of Christ, and lean to the perfection of his own, for
his peace, and salvation ; that man would miscarry, andbe damned.
Beloved, all I aim at is this, that you build not upon founda-
tions that will fail you, when you come to the trial: there is (as
you shall hear by and by, if time and strength permit) abso-
lutely perfection enough in the righteousness of Christ alone, for
your rest and security, that you shall not need to trust to any
thing you do for peace or life ; this is that which God calls you
to, to go forth from your own righteousness, to rest solevy and
only upon the righteousness of Christ, if ever you mean to have
comfort in this world, and in the world to come.
MJB A ziu Of 0'»n '•ttrrrs fvor
You will say peradventure, tliis is the way to destroy all
righteousness and obedience wYiatsoeverj what, a tnau nti-ev a
jot the better, though he be ever so zealous for God, although
his eye and aim be after God in his zeal : to what purpose serves
all this then, will you say ?
I answer, The world is grown to a miserable pass, that obe-
dience, zeal, and seeking after God, must be of no use at all,
except a man himself be a gainer by his obedience ; it is now,
as it was in the time of the Psalmist, Psal. iv. every one will be
ready to cry out; " Who will shew us any good?" This is the
common out-cry in the world ; if any thing in the world be pro-
posed to men to be done, they answer, but what shall I get by
it? That is the next word presently : am I put upon such, and
such an employment, saith one; but what shall 1 gain by it?
As in those offices of employment that carry about with them a
great deal of labour and expence of time, and bring no profit in
to the person in the office ; every man will be ready to shun such
an office, nay ready to buy out such employment; this is the
case of the world, in things appertaining unto God : what doth
the law call me out unto such duties and employments, such zeal
and fervency, to be hot in these services and duties, and to have
mine eye upon God in the performance of them, and all this do
me no good? I had as good sit still and do nothing. But there
are some good common- wealth's-men indeed, who you know have
in respect of others' prosperity, put themselves to trouble and
charge, and be so far from getting, that they shall be losers by
their office; and yet for the common- wealth's good, they will
willingly put themselves on, when they are called out to such
employments : and I must tell you, except you mind chiefly, that
all the duties you perform, are for other ends and purposes, than
your own preferment, and to benefit yourself thereby ; namely,
the setting forth the praise of the glory of God's free-grace, and
the serving your generation in which you live, and the study of
good works, because they are profitable to men ; I say, except
you will fall upon the performance of duties, for the common
good and benefit, without having any such conceits as what shall
accrue to you thereby ; you are not persons yet come to have
that common spirit, and dead to the old spirit, as becomes
Christians.
I must tell you, and that freely, there is not any duty you per-
A MAN A CHILD OF GOD
form wlien you liavo attained tho highest pitch, that hath any
prevalency, and availableness to produce any, though the least
good to themselves* ; I say it again, there is nothing you can do,
from whence you ought to expect any gain unto yourselves by
doing : you ought not to seek to find in what you do, nor to
think to bring Christ to yourselves by doing ; " You are not
your own," saith the apostle, " you are bought with a price,
therefore glorify God in your bodies and spirits :" Christ hath
redeemed us, " that we should not henceforth live to ourselves,
but to him that died for us."
The scripture is marvellous plentiful in this, that no believer
for whom Christ died, should have the least thought in his heart
of promoting or advancing himself, or any end of his own by
doing what he doth : and though, as people may think, here is a
marvellous discouragement to persons, to do what God call*
them to do, when they shall have nothing for it ; I answer, when
there is a spirit of ingenuity (as you know there is even in the
world) they shall be industrious to glorify God, and do good to
men, as if they did it for themselves; they shall do as much for
good already bestowed, as if they were to procure it by their
own doing.
Secondly, I answer. There can be no discouragement at all
unto the performance of any thing God calls for at your hands,
though you get nothing in the world by what you do ; I say,
there is no discouragement, because you cannot propose or in-
tend to yourselves any possible gain by duty ; but that, what-
ever it is, that is a spur and encouragement unto it, is already
freely and graciously provided for you to your hand ; that all
• The Doctor's meaning is not, that no good is enjoyed in a way of duty ; for, in
the former discourse on this text, he not only observes, that our righteousness is use-
ful, to manifest our thankfulness to God, and by it we serve our generation ; but it is
the ordinance of God, wherein he hath appointed us to meet with him, and wherein
he will make good the things he has before promised ; and accordingly he pours out
himself in grace and love, according to his promise : but the sense is, that there is uo
virtue and efficacy in any duty performed to procure any good thing for us, or to en-
title us to it ; nor should we do any with this view, or expect any on such an account ;
but should perform duty without mercenary or selfish views, purely from a spirit of
ingenuity, from a principle of love and gratitude ; knowing that all good things, for
time and eternity, are already provided in Christ, and are or will be bestowed on us,
through him, and for his sake ; and not on account of any duty of ours, which ought
not to be put in the room of Christ, and made an idol of; which is the Doctor's view,
in these and other expressions of the like nature. See Chauncy's Neonomianism
Unmasked, part 2, p. 256, 290, 291, &c. a book worthy to be read by both th*
friends and foes of Dr. Crisp ; being a vindication of these discourses of his through-
out, from the falsehood, misrepresentations, calumnies, and objections of D. W, in
his Gospel Truth Stated^ &c.
160 ' ZliAL FOR OOD PROVES NOT
your industry could not compass and bring in, either so certainly
or so plentifully as the very grace of God, before the perform-
ance of any duty, hath provided and established that gooa for
you.
When you fall upon humiliation, fasting, prayer, weeping,
and self-denial, what do you look for ? In the diversity of judg-
ment, saith one, I get this by it, prevention of many great evils
hanging over my head ; another saith, peace of conscience, joy
in the Holy Ghost, assurance of the pardon of sin, and of re
conciliation with God ; these things would I get by attending
upon ordinances, by serving God day and night, in that way he
calls me out unto : I tell you plainly, there is none of all these
things that you do, that conduce a jot towards the obtaining of
any of these ends you propose to yourselves ; all jou do gets
not a jot ; nay, doth not concur in it.
You will say, then, we had as good sit still, as good never a
whit as never the better: he that works all day, and gets nothing
more than he had in the morning, had as good sit still, and do
nothing.
I answer. Let me tell you, the prevention of evil, if there be
reality of evil in it, and the obtaining of good, if there be a re-
ality of good, peace of conscience, joy in the Holy Ghost, par-
don of sin, infallibility of miscarriage, the light of the counte-
nance of God ; all these, I say, which you aim at, when you are
encouraged to duty, are provided abundantly for you, and esta-
blished firmly upon you, by the mere grace of God in Christ,
before ever you perform any thing whatsoever : to what purpose
do men propose ends to themselves, which ends are accomplished
before their proposition ? Hath God settled all things pertain-
ing to life and godliness in his Son Jesus Christ upon you
for his own sake, and settled them everlastingly and unchange-
ably upon you ; that heaven and earth shall pass away, before a
tittle of the grant of God, made freely for his own sake, shall
pass 1 I say, hath he settled all things, so that there can come
nothing to make them more secure, than the grant of God him-
self hath made them ? To what purpose then do we propose to
ourselves, the gaining of that to ourselves by our labour and in-
dustry, that is already become our own before we labour a jot ?
There are some children in the world, I know, that are very
vigilant and very observing of their parents ; and their end and
A MAN A CHILD OF GOD. ICl
aim s, that by such compliance their fathers may settle a good
inheritance upon them ; but suppose a child hath manifested to
it. that his father had already passed over all his goods and land
to him ; and hath made a firm deed of conveyance, and cannot
call it back or in ; he hath passed over so much, and so firmly,
he is not able to add to that, that is passed over before-hand ;
will such a child propose to himself, in his obedience and ob-
servance, the obtaining of that good his father hath already
passed ? He knows that it is passed already, and cannot be by
any thing he doth firmer and stronger; he serves not now to get
his father's lands, but he serves to honour his father that so
freely hath settled his land upon him. So I say of believers,
that have the temper of Christ's true bred children indeed ; they,
in the gospel of Christ, find all things that appertain to life and
godliness ; they find them all so passed over by God's goodneps
and free-grace to them, that the lions shall want, and suffer hun-
ger, before they shall lack any thing that is good : must thev
now labour to gain these things as if they were in agitation, and
as if they were yet referred to their good or evil walking ; that
as they shall walk, so they shall speed ? This is to argue, that
God is yet to determine within himself, how to dispose of the
good things that he will bestow upon his people, and that he
gives good things according to their good or evil carriage* ; and
so the goodness of God to his people must depend upon their
goodness to him ; and that as men's works will prevail with God,
so God will pour out his bounty unto them.
But, without respect to good or evil, as I said before, the Lord
nath everlastingly established all that ever he meant to do ; and
no more will he do to the end of the world to any people he hath
chosen in his Son. The Lord in Christ from everlasting hath set
down peremptorily what he willf do for you; and there are no
intervening acts and carriages of yours that make any alteration
in him at all to cross out what he hath written, and to put m
what he had left out ; he doth nothing to his people upon con
ditions in them, as if he referred himself still to those conditions^
and suspended what he meant to do to them, till he perceived
how they would carry themselves to him.
All that I aim at is this, to let people know that it is not a va'ij
* Ezek. xxxvi. 32. f Eccl. iii, 14, 15; Jam, i. I".
M
182 , \ ZEAL OF GOD PROVES NOT
thing to yield due obedience to any thing that God requires ,
though the Lord intend not, that by our obedience, we shall
gain something, which in case of our failing, we shall miscarry
ot ; I say, the Lord hath firmly established upon his own people
every thing that concerns their peace, comfort, and good, simply
and merely for his sake, without respect or regard to any thing
they perform ; that they are to do, they are not to do it with any
eye to their own advantage, that being already perfectly com-
pleted to their hands before they do any thing : but simply with
an eye to glorify God, and serve their generation, and therein to
serve the Lord, and set forth the praise of the glory of his grace
that hath done so abundantly for them. Oh ! that men were but
so far enlightened, to behold how graciously the Lord hath pro-
vided for them ; that he doth not now leave himself in a kind of
suspence * to deal well or ill with them, as they should carry
themselves well or ill to him.
I know, the contrary to this rises in the hearts of men that
have not yet received the light of the glorious gospel of Jesus
Christ ; having this conceit, as if all the carriages of God to men
were according to their carriage to him ; but here is no such
thing, this is but the establishing of man's own righteousness to
expect the dealings of God to him, as he himself deals with God,
and that, therefore, he will be righteous, that he may be happy.
Oh ! I beseech you, enter seriously into your own thoughts, and
consider, whether or no this bo not to bring back again the cove-
nant of works, even to believers; namely, that it shall fare well
or ill with them, as they obey, or disobey, the Lord God. The
apostle, in this chapter. Terse 5, doth expressly tell us what the
covenant of works was : " Moses describes the righteousness of
the law thus. He that doth these things shall even live in them ;"
I pray mark it well, this is the righteousness of the law, that he
himself, in the next verse, opposes to the righteousness of God,
that he calls the righteousness of faith : " Moses describes the
righteousness of the law thus. He that doth these things shall
even live in them : but the righteousness of faith speaks on this
wise ; Say not in thine heart. Who shall ascend into heaven ?
That is, to bring Christ from above ; or, who will descend into
the deep ? That is, to bring Christ up again from the dead : but
what saith it ? The word is nigh thee, in thine heart, and in thy
* Job xxiii. 13; Mai. lil, 6.
A MAN A CHILD OF GOD. 163
mouth, this is the word of faith that we preach." I say, the eo-
venant of works stands upon these terms, So much doing, so
much life ; on the other side (Gal. iii. 10) : " Cursed is every
one that continueth not in all things that are written in the law
to do them." Here is the other branch of the covenant of
works, so far as I fail in doing, so far must I be under the curse.
Now vou can look for no better than wrath and vengeance from
heaven, so long as you run on in these principles, and make them
the foundation of your good ; so far you make yourselves liable
to the covenant of works ; no more good, comfort, peace, or rest,
but as you can do this, and that. What is this else, but, " Do
this and live ?"
I beseech you to enter into your own hearts concerning this
particular. When you yield obedience to God, you come to
church, go to prayer, and fall to fasting, weeping, mourning,
self-denial, keeping the sabbath, and dealing righteously, ho-
nestly, and justly with men ; what is it you aim at in all this ?
That God may do you good, that he may be gracious and loving
to you, that he may speak peace to your spirits ; then, it neces-
sarily follows, that life is that in your eye that puts you upon that
which you do, and so you do, that you may live; this is the
righteousness of the law, that righteousness which is opposed to
the righteousness of faith. Now, know, that there is no submit-
ting to the righteousness of God, while there is an establishing of
the righteousness of the law of Moses ; namely, to do righteous-
ness that you may live; to refrain from evil, to the end you may
not be cursed: he that proposeth cursing or life, cursino- if he do
not do, or life if he do the will of God ; he that proposeth this, is
" under the law, and not under grace."
Christ, as you hear in the next verse, " is the end of the law foi
righteousness, to every one that believes." What is that ? He
is the end of the curse of the law ; he is the (md of the life of the
law; there is no curse to be pronounced on a believer, when he
breaks the law; there is no life to be expected by the believer
upon his obedience to it ; Christ is the end of the life, and curse
of the law; " He himself being made a curse for us, as it is
written. Cursed is every one thathangeth on a tree." Secondly,
" Our life is bid with God in Christ:" he is the life, no life but
in the Son: " He that hath the Son, hath life; he that hath not
the Son, hath not life," saith the apostle. All this argues plainly,
h2
f64 A ZEAL OF GOD PFOVKS NOT
nat all that life that is to be expected, whether it be life itself or
he conducing of things that appertain unto the comforts of t;
all this is to be expected from the Son of God, and not from any
obedience to the law. If thou, at any time, read a curse to
thyself, upon any transgression of the law, and darest receive it
against thyself, in respect of that transgression, Christ is not the
end of the law to thee ; namely, thy soul takes not Christ as the
full curse of the law, taking it all away, that otherwise the law
would pronounce and execute upon thy person.
Beloved, I need not apologize ; you know what the apostle
speaks, (2 Cor. v. 19,) " God was in Christ reconciling the
world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them :
and hath committed to us the word of reconciliation;" upon
Avhich (saith the apostle) " we are the ambassadors for Christ,
beseeching you, in Christ's stead, to be reconciled unto God."
I think I need not make an apology ; he that is a minister of the
gospel ought to declare and proclaim this reconciliation to you,
by God's own Son Jesus Christ, peace through him, and atonement
through his blood alone. Either we are the ministers and mes-
sengers of Christ, or the ministers of Moses ; we are either the
ministers of the covenant of works, or the messengers of the co-
venant of grace : so far as we urge upon you, as you do, you
shall live, and as you do evil, you shall be accursed ; so far we
are the ministers of the covenant of works. But, when we come
and say, that " God is in Christ reconciling the world unto him-
self;" that is, if we say that Christ bare the curse, and that you
need not fear it, though you fall into sin ; you may be sure that
God hath reconciled you so in his Son, that your falls (being
believers) shall not break peace between God and you ; this
peace is everlasting; it is unchangeable; God is not a friend
to-day with his people, and falls out with them to-morrow ;
" whom he loves, he loves to the end ;" now this is our business
to draw people unto Christ.
And we may do some good to let you see what advantage
there is in Christ for you ; for thereby you may be induced not
to establish your own righteousness against him, and his. We
shall sin every day ; in many things we sin all ; but the business
we are to do, is this, to let you know, that though there be sins
committed, yet there is no peace broken ; because the breach of
peace is satisfied in Christ ; there is a reparation of the damage
A MAN A CHILD OF GOD. 165
before the sin itself be committed: Christ had in his eye, and so
had the Father too, all the damages that should fall out to the
end of the world, by his own people ; and he did not pay a price
for some that were present only, but he paid the damages of all
that should come after, from the time of his suffering, to the end
of the world; he paid the uttermost farthing for every one at
once : though, it may be, one sin is committed to-day, another
is committed to-morrow, and the other the third day ; God hath
reconciled himself to you in Christ, for this sin committed to-
day, and that which will be to-morrow, and so for all the rest to
the end of your lives, they are paid for already; this is that
which will make up the peace of a believer ; " The God of hope
will fill us with all joy and peace in believing." That is worth
observation, beloved, the joy of a person can never be full, the
peace of a man can never be complete, as long as there is suspi-
cion ; there will be quarrelling again. What saith the soul 1 I
sin now, and shall to-morrow ; and when I sin, God will fall out
with me, be angry with me, and turn away from me ; I say, as
long as there is such suspicion, there will never be fulness of
peace and joy. Hence it is, that persons, till they came to
receive the gospel of Christ, were, through fear of death and
wrath, subject to bondage all their life long; but, when they
come to have this peace that Christ hath purchased, he having
made an atonement, and given rest, in that he hath paid all the
old scores at once ; then they may perceive, though there be this
sin committed, yet, notwithstanding, God will not now fall out
again with them ; for he had an eye upon all these sins, when
Christ suffered, and took full satisfaction of his Son for this very
sin ; now though I sin to-day, God took full satisfaction of
his Sou for the sins of this day; nay, more, he hath acknow-
ledged satisfaction for them all ; " He beheld the travail of his
soul, and was satisfied," for that which is to come, as well as
that which is past ; God, in Christ, hath given a full discharge.
Look upon the account, you shall find that Christ paid and
reckoned not only for sins past and present, but for sins com-
mitted to the end of days. Therefore, in Dan. ix. 24, you shall
find this excellent prophecy, " Yet seventy weeks are determined
upon thy people, and upon thy holy city:" here, by seventy
weeks he pi ophesies of the distance between the time in which he
spake, and the time wherein Christ should suffer ; and what should
lijb A ZEAL OF GOD PROVES NOT
he suffer for? " For the finishing transgression, and for the
putting an end to sin ; and for the making reconciliation, and to
bring in everlasting righteousness." Mark, when these seventy
weeks are ended, Christ is come, then there is a finishing of
transgression : there is a great deal of weight in the very word,
tho " finishing of transgression :" when is a thing finished ?
When all is done, and nothing more needs to be done or added
to it. This church was finished, when the lead was laid, and the
windows glazed, and no workman had any thing more to do : now
the time of Christ's suffering was the time of finishing transgres-
sion ; as much as to say, Christ made an end of sin ; that is, God
had no more in the world to reckon with persons for sins, after
Christ in that suffering of his, had paid the full price of every
transgression. Beloved, if God come to reckon now with be-
lievers for sin, either he must ask something of them, or not ; if
not, why are they troubled? Why must they come under the
rod, as it were, to make up that which is not yet paid ? How doth
Christ then perfect for ever them that are sanctified ? And how
are they saved to the uttermost, that come to God by him ? When
men are saved to the utmost, there needs no more to be done ; if
so, you must know, that God cannot bring a new reckoning.
There is not such dishonesty in any honest man in the world ; he
that hath taken all the debt of a surety, and given acquittance
under his hand, will not come upon the principal again, a poor
beggar, and tell him, " I must have something of you ;" the poor
man will answer him, " Sir, you have received sufficient satisfac-
tion already of my surety ;" he is not an honest man that will
ask more. Christ is the surety of a better covenant ; God took
Christ's bond, and he paid it ; and, as he took his pay, when he
received it, he acknowledged he had received satisfaction, Isa.
liii. 11, " He beheld the travail of his soul, and was satisfied:"
the travail of Christ gave the Father such satisfaction, that he
acknowledged he was satisfied in it; why, therefore, should he
come upon you again ? And if God will not come upon you
again, what need you fear ? It is true, as sin is contrary to the
nature of God, so we ought with all reverence to make use of
the help of the Spirit to oppose all sin whatsoever ; but for any
hurt * which such sins shall do us, it is not possible ; for Christ
* By hurt is meant the hurt of punishment, penal evil, which Christ has bore and
«ook away from Iris people ; so that they shall never be affected with it, he having
fully satisfied for their sins.
A MAN A CHILD OF GOD. 167
liatli made satisfaction ; " He Avas wounded for our transgres-
sions, and bruised for our iniquities, and the chastisement of our
peace was upon him :" did God wound Christ for sin ? If he
did, it was to some purpose, or to none ; if it were to purpose,
then it pleased the Father to wound him, that those that were to
be wounded might not be wounded : and hath Christ saved his
people from wounding, then what need we fear that we shall be
wounded for our transgressions ?
But if we commit sin, God will punish us,
I answer. This is to make the sufferings of Christ of none
effect ; for, if he had not suffered, you could but be wounded ; but
if he was wounded for you, why do you disparage his sufferings,
by this false jealousy and suspicion of yours 1 and, besides, vou
will never rest in peace all the days of your life, till you go out
of yourselves to the Lord Christ, and see fulness in him, and
such fulness and perfection in him, that there needs no addition
to what he hath done ; " In him," saith the apostle, " dwells
the fulness of the Godhead bodily," and " we are complete in
him ;" and is it so ? There is no fear, then, that God should
look upon you as abominable, loathsome things, any longer:
there is inconsistency between a lovely person, and an ugly loath-
some one ; you are complete in Christ ; now, being complete in
him, you are lovely in the sight of the Father : in Exek. xvi. the
prophet tells us, " And thy beauty became perfect through my
comeliness that I put upon thee." Here is a person in blood, in
a loathsome condition ^ but, for all this, as loathsome as he is
in himself, and in his own nature; yet here is perfection of
beauty, and that through the comeliness of Christ : now can the
Lord abhor that which hath perfection of comeliness in it ?
Whosoever is in Christ, hath all the comeliness of Christ upon
him; now as you look out of yourselves, and your filthiness, and
look upon yourselves as you are in him : so you shall have not
only rest and peace, but joy, and joy unspeakable and glorious,
as in Isa. xxxv. 10, an excellent place; " The ransomed of the
Lord shall return to Sion with songs, and everlasting joy upon
their heads ; they shall obtain joy and gladness ; and sorrow and
sighing shall flee away." Some interpret these words of the
glory in heaven ; but it is returning to Sion, and not returning
io heaven ; Sion is the church of God upon earth ; they return
to Sion, that is, they return to Christ in his church upon earth ;
168 - A ZEAL OF GOD PROVSS V'^2' A MAN A CHILD 01 GOD,
they shall return with songs, and everlasting joy ; and they sliasl
obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flco
away.
This is not impossiDie, you wiH say; but you know many
of the people af the Lord Jesus, that walk sadly and disconso-
lately, not having" tlws joy and gladness.
I answer, There is nothing hinders the joy of God's people,
but their sins ; these, as they conceive, stand as a separation be-
tween God and them ; oh ! they stand as a cooling card in all
their joys and mirth; but when they return to Sion, they shall
rejoice in that they shall see, that the blood of Jesus Christ the
Son of God hath cleansed them from all sin ; in that the lamb of
God hath taken away all their sins ; the scape-goat having car-
ried them away into the land of forgetfulness ; in that all their
transgressions are blotted out as a cloud, and God will remem-
ber their sins no more ; in that they are all fair, having no spot
before the Lord in them : when they shall come, by the sight of
the glory of the gospel, and the light thereof, to behold this
estate that Christ hath brought them into ; then all matter of
sorrow and sighing shall flee away, and the bitterness of it shall
be taken away ; and then that which was the occasion of that
bitterness shall vanish too.
I do not say, that he is no believer that hath not this perfectly ;
far be it from me to say so ; there are that are believers that are
weak; and there are believers that are strong in faith. The
more the light and glory of the gospel shines in the true inten-
tion of God to his people ; the more shall they return to their
rest, the more shall they have joy and gladness.
Why, then, may not a believer say as David did, " The Lord
hath been very bountiful to me, that I may return to my rest ;"
God hath done every thing in Christ, and taken away all things
that can disturb my peace and comfort
SERMON XI.
GOD REMEMBERS NOT OUH SliVS,
ISAIAH xliii. 25.
I, EVEN I, AM HE THAT BLOTTETH OUT THY TRANSGRESSIOS.'.
FOR MINE OWN SAKE, AND WILL NOT REMEMBER THY ,S!NS.
To have an evangelist, a day-star, to be visited in lightsome
times, though it be a matter of great grace ; yet is it not cause
of so great admiration, as to have the sun shining in a dark
night is matter of wonder; and yet there was a spiritual eye
among the Jews, that was able to see (in their darkest days) a
glorious sun in their firmament; this eye was this evangelist
Isaiah. I rather call him an evangelist than a prophet, for his
bringing glad tidings of good things, tidings of exceeding great
joy. The apostle Paul himself, the great doctor of the Gentiles,
and the main exalter of Christ and the grace of God in him,
goes not beyond this evangelist ; speaking so fully, clearly, and
sweetly of the freeness of God's love, even while persons are in
the lowest and worst of conditions.
Besides all other expressions of his, this very text that I have
read unto you is enough to make him an evangelist indeed ; for
here be evangelizes, or preaches the gladdest tidings that ever
could come to the sons of men ; for herein he proclaims liberty
to the captives, and binds up the broken-hearted. This very
expression of his, Is one of the greatest causes that " the ran-
somed of the Lord shall return to Sion with songs, and everla.st-
ing joy upon their heads ; and that they do obtain joy and glad-
ness, and sorrow and sighing fly away ;" as the same prophet
hath it in chap. xxxv. 10.
Now that we may see more fully, the sweetness of marrow,
and of wine well refined on the lees, contained in this text ; it
will be of very great importance and concern, to understand
clearly and fully to whom, or of whom, the Lord by Ihis prophet
speaks these words. It is true, a pardon is a welcome thing io
170 GOD REMEMBERS NOT OUR SINS.
a condemned malefactor ; but a pardon for this man, when ano-
ther that goes to execution hath none, is so far from being a
comfort to him that suffers, that it doth but augment his misery
and torment.
If the Lord for his own sake blots out the iniquity of such
a«d such, and not the iniquity of others, it is but the augmenta-
tion of the misery of that person that hath no share in it.
In verse 4, the Lord mentions Jacob indeed, but, in the se-
quel, he makes it appear, that he intends not Jacob according to
the flesh, but after the spirit; for this Jacob and Israel are that
company and assembly of people, that are brought together from
the ends of the earth ; from the east, west, north, and south, as
we have it expressed in verse 5, 6. But, beloved, that you may
see plainly who this Jacob and Israel are, observe but one ex-
pression in verse 7. " Thou that are called by my name," saith
the Lord ; these are the persons whose iniquities the Lord blots
out; what name is that? The name of " The Lord thy Saviour,"
verse 11. Now there is no people in the world, nor the Jews
ttiemselves ; that had so plain a name of their Saviour upon
them, as we have that are Gentiles, that are Christians; we have
the true name of Christ a Saviour upon us. Christians from
Christ.
And least people should think, that when the Lord proclaims
this grace in the text, of blotting out iniquity and transgression,
he looks for some qualifications and dispositions, that may be
amiable to win so much grace from him ; do but observe, I pray,
(and it is very observable indeed) the two or three verses before
my text; you shall see plainly how careful the Lord is to take
off all such conceits from men, all imagination of any such ex-
pectation. There must be first graciousness, they must be first
well qualified, and then their iniquities shall be blotted out, so
might some think ; mark how the Lord takes it off; for in these
two verses, he draws to the very life the qualifications and con-
ditions of those, whose iniquities he blots out; mark them well,
" Thou hast not called upon me ; thou hast been weary of me ;
thou hast bought me no sweet cane with money, neither hast
thou filled me with the fat of thy sacrifices ; thou hast made me
to serve with thy sins ; thou hast wearied me with thine iniqui-
ties :" and then upon these words follows the text ; " I, even I,
am he that blotteth out thine iniquities for my own sake ; and
GOD REMEMBERS NOT OUR SINS'. 171
will not remember thy sins." Mark, the words [thy transgres-
sions] have reference to the persons spoken of before, " that nast
not called upon me; thy transgressions, that hast been weary of
me ; thy transgressions that hast wearied me ; and thy transgres-
sions, that hast made me to serve with thy sins."
So that the point from hence is this ; " That the Lord, for his
own sake, blots out the transgressions, and remembers not the
sins, even of those that have not called upon him, that have been
weary of him, and wearied him, and made him serve with their
transgressions.
I make no question, but that this doctrine, I have laid down,
will be received of all that will but receive clear scripture ; I
have not added one tittle in it more than is expressed in the words
themselves ; and therefore I shall be the more bold to build upon
such a rock as this is.
That we may the better come to the words, or rather to our
comfort in them, we have these particulars very observable.
First, The grace held out to these persons ; and that Is ex-
pressed by two phrases. First, The " Lord blots out thy trans-
gressions." Secondly^ " will not remember thy sins."
Secondly, Besides the grace held forth, let us consider the
original or fountain from whence it springs ; it is " /, even /,
(saith the Lord) the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, thy Sa-
viour; for so you have it expressed all along the chapter.
Thirdly, You may consider here the motive that prevails with
Godj to extend this grace that he shews to his joeople, and that
is a remarkable passage ; the motive is not in, nor from the crea-
ture ; it hath its spring and rise immediately from himself
alone ; " I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions ;
for mine own sake I do it."
Finally, you may consider to whom this grace is extended ;
that blotteth out thy transgressions, saith the text, and will not
remember thy sins ; that is, to those persons mentioned before,
of which I have spoken, that have wearied him with their sins;
of these briefly.
First, Concerning the grace that the Lord is pleased to hold
forth to his people here, namely, " The blotting out their trans-
gressions and not remembering their sins." First, let us consi-
der what it is for the Lord to blot out transgressions ; it is an
usual phrase in the scripture, and imports much comfort in it ; it
172 GOD REMEMBERS NOT OUR SINS.
IS an allusion, or an allegorical expression ; wherein the Lord is
pleased to hold forth his love to man, after the manner of men ;
to set forth his carriage to men, according to theirs one to
another. It is a phrase borrowed from the practice of men, that
keep their debt-books, wherein they enter, and record the several
debts men owe them ; that so, for the better helping of their
memory, they may find what is due, and know what to demand
and call for; I say, the Lord here speaking of " blotting out
of transgressions," hath reference to such debt-books, wherein ho
hath recorded the several debts, or sins, which he enters as men
commit them ; now the blotting out is nothing else, but that,
whereas there were such and such transgressions in the record of
God, he draws a blot over them. And that he here hath reference
to such kind of dealing, in blotting out transgressions, you may
see clearly manifested unto you, in Col. ii. 14, where this phrase
of blotting out, is explained : " You being dead in your sins,
hath he quickened, together with Christ, having forgiven you all
trespasses ;" now, mark what follows : " blotting out the hand-
writing of ordinances which was against us, and was contrary to
us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross ;" what
" the hand-writing of ordinances" there is, you may plainly per-
ceive by the words going before, namely, " All our trespasses,
and all our sins." Now the taking away of sin, is called a
" blotting it out," and expressed thus ; " The blotting out of the
hand-writing that was against us," because they were, as it were,
written down ; but the Lord hath razed and blotted them out.
You are not to conceive that there are really such things with
God, that he did indeed keep a book, and enter down in it all
the several actions of men, and so calling men to account, will
open it, and will read out the several things there written ; but
the phrase is only an allusion spoken for our better capacity.
And, for this cause, you shall find the scripture frequently
makes mention of such books God hath. When the seventy
disciples came to Christ, rejoicing that the devils were made
subject unto them, he replies, " Rejoice not that the devils are
made subject unto you, but rejoice, rather, that your names are
written in the book of life." Here is a book, and the names of
the disciples written in it; but, if you will mark Rov. xx. 12, you
will find, there is not only the book of life, but other books
besides, out of which the dead, both small and great, were
GOD REMEMBERS NOT OUR SINS. 173
judged, according to their works that they had done j as if he had
said, besides the book of life, there is the book of works, wherein
the several actions of men are recorded, by which, at the great
day, men are to be judged as they are found in them ; according
to the several debts that are therein, they are to receive their
sentence. Mark, now, for the bettey apprehension of our weak
capacity, the Lord hath taken up such a kind of illustration of
his dealing with men ; namely, by recording our debts in books ;
yet, he tells us for our comfort, that, though there be such books,
we need not fear ; though they shall be opened, yet whatsoever
was written in them, in reference to us, is all crossed and blotted
out: and, when we come to account, there shall be nothing
reckoned unto us, as a fault *.
For the better illustration of this, that what comes after may
oe the clearer, you must understand, that, though it be true in
the succession of ages, the several members of Christ do severally
day after day commit now some, then more, and afterwards more
transgressions ; though this be actually done in succession of
time, yet the all-seeing eye of the Lord looks overfall, that ever
should be done, from all eternity; and then, as it were with him-
self, writes dov,^n the several actions and transgressions of men,
that afterwards should be committed ; he registers them at first
with himself, and this is all the book that God keeps, and all the
entries of actions with him. Now, whereas the Lord in his eter-
nal foresight took notice of every action that you and I have
done, do, or shall do hereafter; he also took notice of the nature
and quality of such actions ; yet, when he had done, he drew a
crossKOver them all : for though he saw these things thus done,
yet he took a course that he would be another way satisfied foi
every thin^ that he could demand in respect of them ; and so
they should remain no longer upon the heads of those persons.
As for example. Suppose a man owes, upon a bill of parcels, an
hundred pounds ; all these parcels are written in a book under his
name upon his head ; after a time a surety comes and takes all
this debt, and enters it upon his own head, under his own name,
he being an able man : upon this the creditor is pleased to take
him for his debtor, and so transcribes every parcel of the debt,
from the head of the principal debtor, unto the head of this surety.
Now. after all these parcels are entered to the head of the surety,
* Judo 24. f Psalm cxlvii. 5 ; .loliii xx'u l7.
174 OOD REMEMBERS NOT OUR SINS.
l)y-and-by a cross is drawn over the first head, whose debt It was
before, until it was brought over unto the surety : this is the
" blotting out of transgression" which the Lord here speaks of;
and the sense of it is no more but this ; though it is true, I know
it well enough what thou hast done, and all thou hast done against
me, how many and how great transgressions thou hast committed,
and hereafter shall commit, though they be all open before me,
though thou art the doer of all these, and I know it, yet, saith
the Lord, " I will blot out all :" that is, there is not any one of
all these to be reckoned for upon thy head ; but I have passed
them all upon another's, and he hath made to me, and I have
acknowledged, full satisfaction : I have no more to say to thee.
Here, then, is the sum of this grant of the free grace of God ;
*' the blotting out of transgression," You, know, beloved, the
use of writing debts in a book, namely, that a creditor may turn
over at pleasure or leisure to them; and so, when he looks there,
be may find what every person owes, and, at discretion, may take
the ground- work of his action that he lays against a person ; and
upon this action arrest him, and lay him up in prison, till he
pays the debt. And, likewise, you know what the end of this
" blotting out" too, is ; namely, that when men come to look
over their books they may skip over what was written ; and,
when the book is looked over, no notice shall be taken of such a
man's name, who, though he was entered in it, yet all is blotted
out again ; and imports to us thus much to the thing in hand,
that though the Lord, according to the usual manner of takirg
notice of actions against men, hath his time when he will take
notice of these debts, when he enters the debtor, when he will
arrest and clap him up for them ; yet, when he shall look over
his book, he shall take no notice of such persons whose parcels
are crossed out. Therefore, in Jer. 1. 20, see how the prophet
alludes to this expression, and how he explains the words, "blot-
ting out of transgression :" " In those days, and at that time,
saith the Lord, shall the iniquities of Israel be sought for, and
there shall be none; and the sins of Judah, and they shall not
be found ; for I will pardon them whom I reserve." Here he
seems to represent the Lord as one that begins to look over his
books, to see what debts are owing unto him; as if he were
making a search. Well, saith the Holy Ghost, though at such
time the sins of the people be sought for, yet there shall be
GOD REMEMBERS NOT OUR SINS, 175
none ; it is true, tney were all entered into the knowledge of God
from all eternity, yet there shall be none ; that is, though they
were entered, they are blotted out again ; therefore, as it is in a
debt-book, though there be never so many parcels entered, en-
tered ever so truly there, yet, when once that which was entered
is blotted out, there is no more debt than if there had never been
any ; for all that was ever in, is blotted out. So, though the
Lord be privy to what they do, and hath recorded them in his
own thoughts ; yet he himself draws a blot upon them, and makes
them to be nothing : whereas, before, till the blot was drawn
over them, they were real debts.
And this he doth not simply in respect of forgiveness. In re-
gard of us, it is true, it is a forgiveness, yet, in respect of him, it
is not merely forgiveness ; for the reason and ground of blotting
out of iniquity, is, there is a second head to which these debts are
translated from us, that shall pay them better than those whose
first they were ; so that the debt being paid, God loseth nothing,
forasmuch as that another hath paid all.
This is one of the most admirable pieces of grace that thirsting
souls can desire, if they had all they could wish themselves. Do
but think seriously upon it. Suppose a man is privy to himself
of murder, felony, and treason, or what else you will : suppose he
knows that it is known, and that there are many witnesses to at-
test it ; nay, suppose he knew that it were done in the eye and
face of the judge himself; that he saw with his own eyes what was
done, and that, when all this is done he should be drawn to his
trial ; alas ! in what perplexity of heart would this man be 1 How
would he quake and tremble, and be even at his wit's end ? He
knows it was publicly done ; there is no smothering of it, but
that he must justly lie under condemnation for it ; the witnesses
come in and swear point blank against him ; and, yet, suppose,
after all pleadings, and bitter expectation of the sentence, the
judge himself should stand up, and say, I have made search, and
there is not one bill of indictment found against this man ; there
is not one action that may justly be laid against him, and I have
nothing to say to him or against him. How will this make the
heart of such a prisoner leap for joy, being so acquitted and dis-
missed, and having no bill found against him ! Just so is our
case; we have committed murder, felony, treason, rebellion, and
enmity, all that can be against the Lord : we did it in the face
176 GOD REMEMBERS NOT OUR SINS.
of Godj that he knows it is done : but, when we come to trial
Gotl himself brings an ignoramus ; he himself saith, Here is not
one bill of indictment against him ; there is nothing but what is
blotted out ; and the reason is, as I said, because he acknow-
ledgeth that he hath received a satisfaction from his Son ; " Deli-
ver him, for I have found a ransom," Job xxxiii. 24. So much
for that phrase, " I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions :"
it followeth, " and will not remember thy sins :" here is the ig-
noramxis that God himself makes ; though the foreman of the
grand jury bring in an indictment, yet, saith God, I remember no
such matter. Here is a plea against this and that man ; (mem-
bers of Christ, you must suppose them all this while) they are ac-
counted for such and such sinners and transgressors, but I re-
member no such matter, saith the Lord.
But what is it for God not to remember the transgressions of
men in this kind, will some say ?
I answer, beloved, Here the Lord speaks after the manner of
men, as he did before; books, you know, are the registers of
memory, or records for the help of memory rather : when a man
comes to his book, to his bills and bonds, and there reads what
such and such a man owes, he thereby remembers what debts are
due unto him, and from whom ; but if he comes to his book, and
there can read nothing owing unto him from such a person ; he
is said not to remember it, so that memory itself fails; can this
man now remember his debts that cannot find that he hath any
such, that cannot read them ? If a man look over his debt-book,
and finds there, that though such debts were written, yet now they
are so obliterated that no man can read them, and that this blotting
was made not casually, but upon consideration of a sufficient
satisfaction; how then, can he remember these now as debts?
Tiius the Lord represents himself to us, he remembers not our
sins ; that is, the transgressions of the members of Christ come
not into the thoughts of God, so as now to think that such and
such a man stands guilty before him of such a transgression ; I
say, the Lord hath not in his thought any such thing concerning
any member of Christ. Beloved, you shall find it a frequent ex-
pression of the Holy Ghost, manifesting the grace of God to his
own people ; namely, " God doth not remember their sins :"
David, in Psal. xxv. 9, prays thus, " Lord, remember not the sins
of mv youth :" but look into the covenant of grace, wherein God
GOD REMEMBERS NOT OUR SINS. 17T'
«nga&res himself to be the God of his people ; this is the closure
and shutting up of it, in Jer. xxxi. 31, and so on; " In those
days, and at that time, will J make a covenant with the house of
Israel, not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers ;
but this shall be the covenant that I will make with them," &c.
And then the shutting up of the new covenant is in these words,
*' Their sins and iniquities will I remember no more."
So the apostle, Heb. viii. 12, repeats the self-same thino-, re
peating the covenant word for word, and ends it with the same
closure, " Your sins and iniquities I will remember no more."
And in Heb. x. 16, 17, though the apostle abridges the cove-
nant, and leaves out many branches of it, yet he forgets not the
last clause of it, " Their sins and iniquities will I remember no
more."
So it stands for a truth, the people of God are so received into
the grace and favour of God, that God doth not, nay he will not
remember their sins any more from the time that they are become
members of Christ, and actually in covenant with him ; from that
time for ever more, there is not once a bringing to remembrance
with God any one of their transgressions.
But some will say. This seems to be strange ; what, God no '
remember the sins of believers ? Suppose he forgives them, ve!
he must remember them, seeing they are committed every day sq
clearly and conspicuously in his sight: how is it possible he
should not remember them ? >v
I answer, beloved. Let flesh and blood reason and say what il
will, I ask you this question, is it the Lord himself that says, he
doth not remember the sins of his people ? If he himself speaks
it, who art thou, O man, that darest question whether he remem-
bers them, or no 1 Shalt thou say, he remembers their sins, when
he himself saith, he will not remember them 1 The apostle Paul
tells us, '• No man knows the things of God, but the Spirit of
God:" doth not the Spirit of God tell us this, that " he doth not
remember their sins ?" And can any man know the things of
God better than the Spirit? Thou sayest that God remembeis
them, when he saith, he doth not remember them.
But some will be ready to say further. How can this possibly
be, that God should know every sin that the believer commits,
and the believer himself knows the sins he commits, and yet Goa
should not remember them ?
ir
J79 . GOD REMEMBERS NOT OUR SINS.
I answer, First, Suppose I could not untie this knot, or resolve tliia
riddle to you ; you must know, beloved, there are deep things of
God, that none but he himself can dive into, that none but he is
able to resolve ; yet, though it could not be resolved, let God be
true, and all the world be liars ; let not the world's saying, God
remembers the sins of his people, prevail against his saying, " 1
will not remember their sins :" let sense, argument, reason, and
all stoop to faith, even for the testimony of God's sake alone,
though none will speak the same thing, but merely the voice of
God himself.
But, Secondly, Let us see whether we can untie this knot or
no : how is it possible that the Lord should not remember their
sins, seeing they are so plain to him every moment ? There is
one word in the text, that is not much heeded, and it is that which
must resolve this great and difficult question ; and that is this,
" I will not remember your sins," I will not remember them as
your sins, putting the emphasis upon the word yoe^r ; and will
not remember (hy sins, or your sins. It is most certainly true,
God remembers all the actions that ever men have done, do, or
shall do ; he remembers the nature and quality of all actions as
they are ; he remembers such actions, as done at such times ; and
he knows they are thus and thus in the nature of them ; and yet
so it is, that " he remembers not thy transgressions ;" that is,
though he remembers the things thou hast done, yet he doth not
remember them as they are thine ; he remembers the things, it is
true, but not that they are thine ; for he remembers perfectly that
they are none of thine ; he remembers whose they are, he himself
hath passed them over, he decreed that they should become the
sins of Christ ; and when he passed them over to him, they ceased
to be thine any longer.
You know that text in Isa. liii. 6, " He hath laid on him the
iniquities of us all;" and you know that place in 2 Cor. v. 21,
*' He was made sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be
made the righteousness of God in him." Now I ask this ques-
tion. Whose are the sins that believers commit ? When Christ
became their sin, are they not his ? and if they are his, are they
any longer theirs, that did commit them ? 2 Cor. v. 19, shews
plainly, that the Lord reckons them no longer theirs, when he
hath made them once to be Christ's : " God was in Christ reconcilinsr
the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them ;"
aOD REMEMBERS NOT OUR ilNS. 179
ts much as to say, I will never reckon them thine any more ; I
will never impute them to thee ; all that I look for in respect of
thy sins, I look for at the hands of Christ ; " for he was made sin
for us,'* saith the text
And whereas people think it strange, for as much as believers
themselves do remember their sins, that God should not remem-
ber them ; I answer, if any believers or members of Christ re-
member their sins any otherwise than God remembers them, their
memory fails them, and they are mistaken in their remembrance ;
if when believers have sinned, they have a conceit that their sins
shall be charged upon them ; the truth is, they have other con-
ceits of themselves than God hath of them ; but if they will re-
member their sins, as he remembers them, they must remember
them, and know them by the light of God's Spirit, that shall lead
them into all truth. The Spirit of God will remember them of
them indeed, and lay before them such and such actions, and tell
them, that they have these pollutions in them, and will convince
them of the abhorrency of them ; but the same Spirit will remem-
ber them withal, that the *' Lamb of God hath taken away all
these sins of theirs f * and that the scape-goat hath carried them
away into a land of forgetfulness ; thus, I say, the Holy Ghost,
AS it brings their sins to their remembrance, so it will suggest to
them also, to whom their sins are sent.
Beloved, it is a matter of admirable grace, full of wonder,
yea, even of amazing consolation, that a poor soul condemned
by Satan, nay, it may be, by his own conscience, should at last
hear the Lord speak, and the last words of God himself to be
this, " I remember no such thing," Now, if God himself doth
not remember your transgressions, you that are the members of
Christ, it is no matter who remembers them ; and, therefore, as
the apostle saith in another case, so you may say with comfort in
your own spirits, " To me it is a very small thing to be judged
of you, or of man's judgment," 1 Cor. iv. 3. Beloved, he that
said it, will stand to it, he will never remember your sins any
more ; though they be never so many and never so great, he will
never call one of them to remembrance. It may be, in afflic-
tion, and when the rod of God is fallen upon thee, thy heart will
be ready to raise such thoughts as these in thee ; " Now God
will be even with me ; now shall I smart for my transgressions ;"
but know this, that at that instant when God brings aifliction upoB
n2
180, OOD REMEMBERS NOT OUR SINS.
thee, he doth not remember any sin of thine ; they are not i[n his
thoughts ; for the text saith not only of the present instant, tnat
God doth not rememl^er them, but ot' the future also, nay, of
the everlasting future ; " Your sins, and your iniquities, I will
remember no more."
I beseech you, consider this one thing, you that think that
God plagues and punishes you, being believers, for such and
such sins of yours, and say, doth he not now remember these sins
of mine? Doth he punish such and such sins in others, and
take vengeance for them, and doth he not remember them?
Doth he use to do things hand over head ? Doth he lay his rod
and his scourge upon them, and never think of the cause of it 1
And if these afflictions be the judgment of God for these sins,
certainly God must remember them, and so know them as mo-
tives and provocations, to inflict such vengeance upon them ;
and if he punishes them for them, certainly he now remembers
them : and what of all this ? Is it a truth that God hath spoken,
*' Your iniquities and your sins will I remember no more?"
Then, surely, whatsoever things befall the children of God, are
not punishments for sin, nor remembrances of sin; the Lord
must be true and faithful in his covenant ; and therefore, if men
shall cavil against this free-grace of God, yet let me request this
of you, let the evidence of the holy Ghost so prevail with your
spirits, that if any creature in heaven or earth, men or angels,
shall endeavour to contradict this, let them be accounted as they
deserve ; let all give way to this truth ; if any thing in the world
can make it appear to the contrary, then let it go away with it ;
but if the spirit of God speaks it so clearly, that nothing can be
objected against it ; let not any thing cause thee to live in so
much darkness and uncomfortableness, as thou must do, till thou
receive this grace of the Lord.
And so, beloved, I have done with the second thing. There is
one thing more very considerable, and that is what the motive is,
that prevails with God, that thy sins and iniquities should be
blotted out, and that he should not remember them ; what is it
that moves him to do this ? I find that the channel of men's
hearts runs usually this way : Oh ! When God beholds my
mourning, weeping, and reformings, and knows I am returned
unto him by true repentance, and seeth what moan I make, and
what a pitiful wretch I am, when he beholds my groanino-s and
GOD IlEMEMliKKS NOT OUR SINS. 18 ->
rav melt)ii£rs ; oh! thi? cannot but move him to pity me, and ia
pardon my sins ! Oh beloved ! know the Lord hath other manner
of motives to prevail wi*h him. than all the rhetorick of misery in
the creature can possibly be to persuade him to this grace ; I say
peremptorily, it is not all the sighings, groanings, mourning?,
fastings, prayers, and self-denial ; nor all the righteousness that
men can return to God, that can prevail with him, to blot oul
their sins and to remember them no more ; but the motive is this
" I, even I, for mine own sake do this ;" and the Holy Ghosi
frequently expresses it in such terms as this, Ezek. xxxvi, 32
after he had laid down the covenant of grace, he concludes with
this caution; " Be it known unto you, not for your sakes do I
this to you ; be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, O
house of Israel :" mark it, there is nothing in the creature moves
God to shew compassion upon him ; but merely for his own -sake
doth he this to his people.
But, how is it, for his own name sake to do it ? I answer. It
imports two things ; first. The I^ord doth it for his own sake, that
is, he is solely moved to it, by and from himself; and there is no
creature in the world doth so much as move him to it ; I say, the
Lord, when he blots out the transgressions of his people, he is
not so much as moved to it, and sought unto for it; there is
nothing in the creature to move God to it ; but simply of his own
mere motion he does it ; and this the apostle expresses in abun-
dant fulness, Eph. i. 9, where, (speaking of redemption) he tells
expressly, that the Lord did all according to his own " good pur-
pose that he had in himself."
But some will say, You will grant this, that Christ moved God
to blot out transgressions.
To this I answer. That though Christ moved God to blot them
out, yet this stands firm still, that we do not move him to do it.
Secondly, I answer, when we say, that Christ moves God to
blot out transgression, I do not separate him from Christ ; " God
is in Christ reconciling the Avorld unto himself;" what he doth
in grace to the poor creature, he doth in Christ ; and he doth
nothing of grace to sinners, absolutely considered in himself, ab-
stractedly from Christ, but as in him.
But, Thirdly, take Christ foi mediator, and as he is distin-
guished from the Father, and Ihen, I say, that he, as mediator,
did not first move God to blot out transgressions ; but tne motion
182 ' GOD REMEMBERS NOT OUR SINS.
within himself, from eternity, was the root and fountain of all;
yea, even of Christ himself as mediator ; and from this fountain
was he raised up to accomplish these things that first were in his
breast ; for Christ is the mediator ; that is, he is the mean between
God and us, to compose this great thing of blotting out our trans-
gression. Now, know, that the means are raised up for the
bringing about the thing intended; and in nature are after the
thing intended as the end ; the school-men have a speech, " The
end of things is always the first in intention, though it be last in
execution ;" if a man builds a house, he first proposeth to him-
self to what purpose it is ; it is to dwell in : the habitation is first
in his thoughts, and then the structure as a means is raised after-
wards to that end ; so the Lord sits down, and consults with him-
self, how he may shew himself in grace to the creature thus ;
The creature will sin, " and I will blot out their transgressions ;"
but how shall it be done ? Well, saith God, I will send Christ
into the world ; he shall be born of a woman, and die for their sins,
having them laid upon him, and shall purchase their redemption :
now Christ is the means, he is made a mediator ; but God's de-
termination, concerning the blotting out of transgression, was of
his own motion, before there was such a thing as Christ, I mean
in both his natures ; and Christ, therefore, came, because God
had determined in his own thoughts, that such a thincr should be
done by him.
Secondly, God doth this for his own sake, not only of his own
mere motion, but for his own end too, for himself. We are apt
to think that he blots out our transgressions, that he might do
good to us, that we might be made happy by it ; it is true, the
TiOrd blotted out transgressions that we might be happy, but yet
this is but the subordinate end to him, and stands in subordina-
tion to a supreme and higher end ; God aims at his own glory
principally; he did not therefore blot out transgressions that we
might be the better for it principally; but that he might atta"n
Ihe thing that concerned himself in it.
And therefore, whereas the Holy Ghost speaks in the text of
" blotting out transgressions for his own name sake," he adds
these words to it, (fore-shewing that God aimed at himself more
than any thing concerning the good of his creatures, 1 Sam. xii.
22,) " The Lord will not forsake his people for his great name
sake. Josh. vii. 9, " What wilt thou do unto thy great name,"
GOD REMEMBERS NOT OUR SINS. 183
if thy people should sin ? ho speaking of it then in that business
of the men of Israel's falling before the men of Ai. The gieat
argument of Joshua, to prevail with God, was the great name of
God. Psal. Ixxix, 9, " Help us, O Lord, for the glory of thy
name, and deliver us, and purge away our sins for thy name sake :'*
the meaning is this ; the Lord blots out transgressions for his own
sake, that is, he therefore blots them out that his own name and
glory might be the more magnified and exalted in the Avorld ; so
that for his own praise sake, he doth the great things he doth.
Therefore the apostle, in Ephes. i. 6, speaking of redemption,
tells us, what the great end of it was, namely, " To the praise of
the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the
beloved."
Now you see what it is for God to blot out transgressions for
his own sake ; namely, that he might have the praise of the glory
of his own grace in doing such marvellous things as he doth ; so
that you run in a vain course to think that you move God by
your importunity and humbling yourselves before him ; for he
will not be moved with all these to blot out your transgressions ;
if ever, therefore, you would find a motive whereon to rest indeed
satisfied that God will and doth blot them out, run to this, the
free thoughts of God, and the bowels in God himself (without
regard to what is in you, or done by you, to move him to do it,
or to provoke him not to do it) have put him upon this great
work for you.
Look into Rom. ix. you shall there see, that in this business of
love, and blotting out sin, the Lord will there manifest himself
in grace, while Jacob is in the womb, before ever he could sigh
and groan to him : he did it then, that it might appear " not ac-
cording to works, but according to the purpose of election," that
it might stand " not of works, but of grace :" and so, when souls
partake of this grace of the blotting out of iniquity, they may cry
out, as the Psalmist did in another case, " Not unto us, O Lord,
not unto us, but to thy name be the praise and glory." And it
is certain, that the apostle tells us, " We are justified by the
grace of God, not of works, lest any man should boast ;" and,
therefore, the Lord will have all the ordering of the work of
grace, that the creature shall have no stroke ; that when that
grace is manifested, and he partakes of it, (the creature having
no hand in it'^ he that glorieth, may glory in him.
18l ' THE GREAT QIYKV
SERMON Xll.
THE GREAT GIVER, AND HIS FRFE O'tflTS
I CORINTHIANS ii. 12.
5fOW WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED THE SPIRIT OF THE WORLD,
BUT THE SPIRIT WHICH IS OF GOD; THAT WE MAY KNOW
THE THINGS THAT ARE FREELY GIVEN TO US OF GOD.
After a wonted tender-hearted salutation and congratulation
to this church of Corinth, from chap. i. 1, to verse 10, the apostle
Paul falls upon a seasonable exhortation to unanimity and con-
cord of spirit among them, relating at large the occasion of this
exhortation to them, to wit, the notice he had received of a dan-
gerous strife and contention fallen out among them, in respect of
their partiality to persons ; this he continues to the 17th or 18th
verses of that chapter ; and from thence, to the closure of the
chapter, he declares both the scope of his ministry in general,
and the diversity of success this ministry of his found, both
among Jews and Gentiles.
Now, in the beginning of this chapter, the apostle returns
back to this church of Corinth in special ; and, whereas, the strife
was, " one was of Paul, and another was of Apollos, and another
of Cephas," he acquits himself from any thing that might, in
respect to himself, tend to, or occasion such strife and quarrel :
therefore, in verse 1, he wholly disclaims all of man which might
tend to exalt man among them : " He came not in the excellency
of speech, or in words of man's wisdom to them ;" his ministry
was exercised in a low plain-dealing way, without either human
rhetoric or wisdom of man. This he amplifies in verse 4 : for
his part, he used no manner of enticing words to inveigle or be-
guile them.
Secondly, He goes on to declare to them the main subject of
his ministry, which he drove at, which he commends both to mi-
nisters and people, as the great thing the^ TCe to mind con-
A^L Al* FREE GIFTS. 1.S5
cerning divinity; a rule and pattern well worth imitation of all,
verse 2, " I desire," saith he, " to know nothing among you,
but Jesus Christ, ar .' li.') crucified ;" he did not care that the
people should know any thing else in the world, so that he might
impart Jesus Christ, and him crucified, unto them.
Thirdly, He deciaies to them the reason Avhy he came with such
plainness and simplicity, without dress, in the exercise of his mi-
nistry, in verse 5, namely, " That their faith might not stand
in the wisdom of men;.but in the power of God ;" as if he should
say, They that are wrought upon by human rhetoric, and fineness
of language, and are taken with respect of any fluency of words,
these men's faith is built upon human wisdom. They that are
taken with the simplicity of the gospel, as it is in Jesus, simply
preached, their faith is built upon the rock itself
Now, lest the apostle's ministi-y of the gospel might grow into
contempt, because he waived that which was human in it; there-
fore, in the latter end of verse 4, he vindicates the power and
life of his ministry, even while it was so plain, and without man's
wisdom. Though Paul came not in excellency of speech and
man's wisdom, yet he came in " the demonstration of the spirit,
and with power." So, though he condescends to the weakness of
this church, being but babes in Christ, as he speaks of them ;
yet he would have them know, though he did, by exercising his
ministry in so low and plain a style for their sakes ; nevertheless,
when he deals with those that are perfect, that is, higher grown,
he can rise in a higher flight, and deal in more grown and deeper
mysteries thaii he did with them. And, in verses 7, 8, he illus-
trates what depths there were in those mysteries that he preached
to those that were capable of seeing them ; and that is quoted out
of Isaiah Ixiv. 4, " Eye hath not seen, ear hath not heard, neither
hath it entered into the heart of man, to conceive the things that
God hath prepared for them that love him."
Now, whereas some might be ready to object, as the false pro-
phets did to Michaiah, " Which way went the Spirit of God from
us to thee ?" If wisdom and prudence could not dive into those
mysteries Paul spake of, how could he come by them ? He was
of no more learning than they ; they were as much insighted in
the law as he; if they could not, how could he ?
He answers in the words following, " Though eye hafh not
scon, nor car heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man
186 ' THE GREAT GIVER,
to conceive them : yet, God hath revealed them to us by his
Spirit." Let me tell you, there are secrets of God that all the
learning in the world shall never attain unto ; only the teaching
of the Spirit of God acquaints people with them ; therefore, it is
a branch of the new covenant of God to those in it ; " They shall
be all taught of God ;" and they shall no more need to say to
their neighbour, " Know the Lord, for they shall all know the
Lord ;" that is, by his own teaching, " they shall all be taught
of God." It is true, in the ministry of the gospel, this know-
ledge comes usually to the people ; but it is not the wisdom of
man that either doth or can impart the secrets of God to this
people ; and these are the mysteries ; the apostle saith, he
preacheth unto those that are more grown and perfect ; there is
strong meat for those that are old, as well as milk for babes.
Now the apostle proceeds on, namely, to shew how it comes to
pass that the Spirit of God, and only the Spirit of God, should
impart and communicate these mysteries, when the wisdom of the
world cannot possibly bolt them out ; saith he, " God hath re-
vealed them to us by his Spirit ; for the Spirit searcheth all things,
even the deep things of God." But some may say, the knowledge
of these mysteries may come some other way : to take off that, in
the following words, verse 11, he shews expressly, that the mys-
tery of the gospel can come no other way but by the Spirit of God
only, as he will use instruments to himself: I say, the original
of discovering the mysteries of the gospel is not demonstration
by way of argument or discourse, but the demonstration is by the
Spirit of God. And the apostle illustrates it by way of compa-
rison, that the Spirit only is the original of the discovery of the
mysteries of God ; " As no man knows the things of a man, save
the spirit that is in man ;" so no man knows " the things of God,
save the Spirit of God :" his meaning in this place is this, you
have a thought in your hearts, and if you give no hint of it by
external expressions, no man can conceive what you are thinking,
till you shall some way evidence yourselves : now, as it is impos-
sible for any man to dive into such a thought, so it is as impos-
sible for all the creatures in the world to dive into the mysteries
of God ; but the Spirit that is of God only reveals them.
Now, in the words of my text, the apostle begins to draw to a
conclusion of this discourse, and to sum it up to a head ; for,
having given this description in general^ concerning the Spirit's
AND HIS FREE GIFTS. 187
revealing things that could not otherwise be seen or known, he
concludes that it was his, and the case of others; " Now we have
not received," &c.
Beloved, let me tell you, by the way, it is a matter of great
consequence and establishment to know the scope and intention
of the Holy Ghost in tl*e several portions of scripture, especially
building places that contain life, peace, and joy ; and, therefore,
I have the more insisted upon the opening of the text ; for if you
take a portion of scripture, and cut it off from the dependance,
you may miss the intention of the Spirit therein : for the words
may sound to another sense than the drift is, except the cohe-
rence be seen and observed ; this, I say, that in reading and
preaching, there must be great regard had to what the Holy
Ghost principally aims at in Scripture. Thus much by the bye.
In the text there are three things considerable. First, What
the apostle aims' at here, or the subject matter he is upon,
namely, the manifestation of the things freely given of God ; or
to impart to us this, that there are things freely given of God to
men.
Secondly, He speaks of them as they may be known ; " That
we may know," &c.
Thirdly, He shews how the knowledge of these things that are
freely given of God is attained ; and that he sets out, first, ne-
gatively, " Not by the spirit of the world ;" secondly, affirma-
tively, " by the Spirit that is of God,"
The proposition is this, ' That *' e things freely given us of
God, come to be known, not by the spirit of the world, but by
the Spirit which is of God being received.
I am confident, none here will stumble at the proposition, being
so naturally raised from the words of the text ; I will not there-
fore spend time about that. There are these particulars in it
worth consideration : and that you may suck and be satisfied ar
the breasts of consolation, consider. First, what these things are
the apostle speaks of, that are freely given of God.
Secondly, What it is for these things to be given.
Thirdly, What it is for them to be given freely.
Fourthly, What it is to know these things that are thus freely
given.
Fifthly, How they are made known to us by the Spirit which
is of God
1S8 ' THE GREAT GIVEK,
First, What these things are that are freely given us of God,
for the illustration of which know first, that it is most certainly
true indeed, all things whatsoever are the free gift of God to men :
" He causeth the sun to shine upon the just, and upon the un
just;" and it is the gift of God that he doth it: 1 will only touch
one thing by the way, and be brief in it; know this, if Adam,
and his posterity, had stood in their innocency, had continued
in the royal law, and never offended, that very life that was an-
nexed unto obedience, I say, that very life had been a free gift;
and, therefore, if you speak of merit properly, as requiring a re-
ward proportionable, and having equal power to the work, there
could not be merit in a state of innocency ; but that very life,
had it come from the performance of perfect obedience, had been
a gift of God. I will give you one illustration, that will satisfy
you fully in it ; look upon all the creatures, as for instance, upon
the sun, that rejoiceth as a giant to run his race; it had its law,
as we had, set before it, a kind of duty the very creature performs
to the Creator ; if God should be bound to reward according to
proportion, and so by way of merit, man's obedierice with life,
why not the obedience of the sun in the firmament as well as man ;
the sun is a creature, as man is ; as a creature, man hath the
same dependance upon the Creator as the sun hath ; what hinders
but that the sun in the firmament should merit as well as man ;
seeing it performs as complete obedience in its way as man could
do ? Beloved, carry this for a principle everlastingly along with
you, all that ever the creature partakes of, it hath from God ; and
so God oweth nothing to it, for that he partakes of, save that he
oweth by free grant ; had not God freely without motive put him-
self upon this, that man should have life upon his obedience, he
could challenge life no more than any other creature could.
But I will not follow this, these things, in general, not being
the things the apostle principally aims at here ; for though it be
true, all things in general are the free gifts of God, yet here he
speaks of things in a restrained way, of some special things pe-
culiar to the beloved of the Lord ; such as the Psalmist speaks of,
in Psal. XXV. 14, " The secrets of the Lord are with them that
fear him ;" or such things as Christ speaks of, in Matt. xi. 25,
26. " I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that
thou nast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast
reveaieii fnem unto babes : even so, O Father, because it pleased
AND HIS FREE GIFTS. 189
thee." The things freely given of God, are the things the wise
of the world cannot reach : they are hid from them : they are
revealed and communicated unto babes. What are those things,
you will say ? I can give you but a touch ; for if I dive into the
depth of the things, there will be no end, I should never come to
the bottom.
First of all, God gives himself, and this is such a gift as is a
mystery, the world doth not reach, they know not what it is ; it is
the greatest gift that ever God could give his people to give over
himself; it contains in it the most inestimable and invaluable
treasure that is in heaven or earth : for God to pass over himself
in such a way of propriety, as that he hath no more command
over himself, than the creature can have power over him, for that
which is good for him ; this, I say, is the strangest thing that
ever was ; and yet God gives himself to his people, that is, he
gives man as true a propriety in himself, as he himself hath in
himself You know, the Lord, speaking of giving himself, ex-
presses it thus, " I have married thee to myself in truth and
righteousness;" mark what the drift of it is, a husband marrying
a wife, by God's own appointment, gives himself up to the wife ;
see how the apostle expresseth it, " The husband hath not power
over his own body, but the wife ; as the wife hath not power over
her own body, but the husband ;" as much as to say, God being
married to a person, he hath not that power over himself, as to
deny himself, or the use of himself, to those to whom he nath
given himself; the believer hath power with God, so far as God
can be useful unto the person to whom he gives himself. T'ttere
is as much propriety in a believer to God, as there is in a wife to
her husband ; this giving of himself by a deed of gift is frequently
mentioned unto you in scripture, but especially in the covenant
of grace ; wherever this covenant is repeated, this is the ourthen
of the song, as I may say ; this is the great business, " I wiil be
their God, (saith he,) and they shall be my people ;" here is the
passing of himself over to them ; and this is, I say, one oi the
hidden things and mysteries that are freely given, God passeth
over himself freely to us.
Secondly, God gives his son Christ, as well as he gives him-
self; that is a second deed of gift, giving of his Son to men ; this
is frequently repeated; " To us a child is born," saith the pro-
phet, Isa. ix. 6. " To us a Son is given," so Isa. xlii n — Tht
J90 THE GREAT GIVER,
same prophet tells us what the Lord speaks of Christ ; " I will
give thee for a covenant to the people, a light to the Gentiles, to
open the blind eyes." Here is a giving of Christ, you see ; we
are the gift of the Father to Christ, so he is the gift of the Father
to us.
Now in the giving of Christ there is to be considered, first,
The gift of his person; secondly, The gift of all the fruits that
redound from the participating of his person. First, God gives
the person of Christ to men ; as much as to say, God gives him
to stand in the room of men, and men stand in his room. So that
in the giving of Christ, God is pleased, as it were, to make a
change*, Christ represents our persons to the Father ; we repre-
sent the person of Christ to him ; all the loveliness the person of
Christ hath, that is put upon us ; and we are lovely with the
Father, even as the Son-j- himself. On the other part, all that
hatefulness and loathsomeness in our nature is put upon Christ :
he stands, as it were, the abhorred of the Father for the time$,
even the forsaken of the Father, as he represented our persons,
bare our blame, sustained our wrath, and drank the dregs of our
cup. Here is the gift of the person ; that which is Christ's, is
ours ; that which is ours, is his. There is an admirable expression,
in 2 Cor. v. 21, " He was made sin for us, that knew no sin ;
that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." It is
• This change of persons is condemned as an error, by D. W. in his Gospel Truth,
&c. p. 37, 38, but is a most glorious truth of the gospel ; and without which, it would
be no gospel, no glad tidings. It is fully expressed in 2 Cor. v. 21, as well as in other
places, and is the ground of our redemption by Christ, of his satisfaction for us, and
the atonement of our sins, and the justification of our persons, and indeed of our whole
salvation ; so that we have reason to break out in the same exclamation as Justin
Martyr did upon it, in his epistle to Diognetus, p. 500, i ttjs yKvKitas avraWayiis, O
sweet change ! A work unsearchable ! Benefits unexpected ! that the transgression
of many should be hid by one righteous person, and the righteousness of one justify
many transgressors.
t John xvii. 23.
1 That is, while he bore the sins of his people, sustamed the wrath of God, and was
made a curse for them ; nor should this seem harsh to any, especially as the Doctor
has qualified it ; for he does not say he stands the abhorred, but, as it were, the ab-
horred of the Father; though, had he said he was abhorred for a time, it is no mora
than the scripture says ; Psal. Ixxxix. 38, " Thou hast cast off and abhorred, thou
hast been wroth with thine anointed," or with thy Messiah ; which words are nnder-
stood of Christ, by several interpreters, ancient and modern ; Christ indeed, as the
Son of God, was always the object of his Father's love; and so he was in his state of
humiliation, and even under his sufferings and death ; John x. 17, as the celebrated
Witsius observes, " Christ was represented not only under the emblem of a lamb, a
foolish beast, and prone to go astray ; but of a goat, lascivious, wanton, and of an ill
smell; yea, of a cursed sei-pent, and on that account execrable, and cursed of God;
not for the taking of our sins upon him, which was an holy action, and most grateful
to God; but for the sins which he took upon him, and for the persons of the ginneri
wh'ch l\p sustained." — Aniinndv. Irenie. c. 3, f 5, p. 43.
AND His FREE GIFTS. 191
plainly manifested, that which we were, Christ became " sin for
as;" then that which Christ was, we became, that is, " the righ-
teousness of God ; for we are made the righteousness of God in
him."
Secondly, With Christ there is the gift of the fruit of him j
she that hath an husband, hath all that is his. I have read an
ancient deed of gift, made by one of the first kings of England,
giving all from the heavens to the centre of the earth : so that if
there be minerals in the bowels of the earth, they are compre-
hended in the gift ; so it is with Christ ; God, in his Son, and
with him, giveth all that he hath and is. All the mines in the
bowels of Christ are ours ; " All things are yours, for ye are
Christ's, and Christ is God's :" so that, whatever is Christ's, by
the gift of him, becomes the person's to whom he is given. Con-
sider what you can imagine Christ hath as a fruit growing from
him as he is Christ, with him that fruit is given to man, namely,
to his own people ; as free justification from all sin ; free recon-
ciliation with the Father ; free adoption to all the glory and li-
berty of the sons of God ; firm peace and agreement, without any
more quarrelling between God and his people ; a free use of all
things in a sanctified way*.
Finally, (we cannot run upon these particulars at large) The
third thing given of God, is the Spirit of God ; " He will give
his Spirit to them that ask him ;" Luke xi. 13. There is a deed
of gift of the Spirit ; " I will send you another comforter," saith
Christ, " and he shall lead you into all truth."
And, as the Spirit of God is the gift of God, so the knowledge
of those free gifts that are only known by the Spirit itself, is the
gift of God. With this Spirit, wisdom and understanding are
given, and the knowledge of the mystery of the gospel ; that you
shall not only have these things (spoken of before) given you, but
the knowledge of them all ; the sound knowledge of them is as
much the gift of God as the things themselves ; this is by the
Spirit of God. Comfort is given by him ; you shall never have
rest in your spirits, but as he rocks you asleep, and gives you
rest. In brief, as all things are given in Christ by his own pur-
chasef , so all things are given in him by the Spirit, by way of
application and possession in particular
* 1 Tim. iv. 5.
f Our English divines, (for I don't remember to have met with \t amonfe-
192 THE GREAT GlVEll,
Let US, therefore, now consider (for I must now redeem the
time) what it is for these (I might have mentioned other particu-
lars that are given) to be given of God.
A deed of gift, is opposed to two things ; first, to sale ; se-
condly, to loan. These things, therefore, are communicated by-
God. First, not by sale or bargain ; he doth not play the mer-
chant ; here are my wares, give me the price, and take the com-
modity. I beseech you take heed of such principles as these are ;
the covenant of Christ, as some may imagine, runs upon this
strain, " I will be their God, and they shall be my people ;" that
is, I will tell you upon what terms I will be yours : come, bring
this price, deliver up yourselves to me, and then I will be yours ;
give me the price and take it; God is no such huckster; he
drives no such bargains in giving himself, and in giving Christ,
and his Spirit ; he makes no sale at all, for sale and deed of gift are
opposite. If I buy such a thing of a man, he doth not give it me.
Beloved, you must not think to bring a price to God for those things
you would have of him : take heed of such conceits, that your as-
surance, peace, and comfort must cost you dear before you have
them ; for God will take no cost or price at your hands. Observe
that admirable expression in Isaiah Iv. 1, 2, 3, by this you shall
plainly perceive God is no huckster, he doth not keep shop, he
doth not shew you wares, and ask a price of you before you have
them: " Ho every one that thirsteth (that is, that have a mind) come
to the waters, come buy and eat ; buy wine and milk without money
aad without price." Why money and price ? there is a difference
between money and price, namely, as there is a difference be-
tween money, and monies-worth : your poor men, their day's
labour is monies-worth, and their day's labour is a price ; there-
fore, there is equality between the labour and the wages, as there
IS equivalence between the money and the thing bought. Now
the meaning of the Holy Ghost here is, God doth not look for
money, nor price, nor labour ; he doth not look that men should
especially of the last age, and many in this, have used the word purchase, concerning
the blessings of grace and glory, and other things. They, indeed, come to us through
the blood of the covenant, that so we may enjoy them consistent with the holiness and
righteousness of God ; but, strictly and properly speaking, nothing was purchased by-
Christ but his church ; nor is any other in scripture ever said to be so ; the only pas-
sage that looks like it, Eph. i. 14, respects the people of God, the portion and pos-
tsiioa of Christ, purchased and redeemed by him ; the reason of which is, the people
of Q Jd, though given to Christ, were captives in other hands, and therefore must be
rctieemed or brought out ; whereas, the blessings of grace and glory never were. It
n'ould be better, I think, if the word was disused.
AND HIS FREE GIFTS. A93
earn their gifts before they have them ; he looks not for the penny,
nor for the penny's- worth ; therefore, be not deceived, tnough in
respect of Christ, God made a sale, and made him pay according
to the bargain ; in which regard, the apostle saith, " We are
bought with a price;" yet, in respect of us, I say, there is no
sale at all. Let me tell you, there are more Simonical persons
in the world than men are aware of. In Acts viii. the great sin
of Simon Magus was, " That he thought the gift of the Holy
Ghost might be bought with money;" the apostle in that chaptei
thunders out an execration upon him, for oflermg to think or
speak this, " That the gift of the Holy Ghost might be bought
with money ;" and therefore he tells him plainly, " That he was
in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity, and that he
had no part nor portion in the matter." How near they follow
to the heels and steps of Simon Magus, that will bring their price
m their hands to God, to partake of the gift of the Holy Ghost,
I leave it to the wise to judge. Therefore, you that would have
your part and portion in this matter, of the gift of God, know
that it must cost you nothing; this derogateth not from your
obedience ; there is employment enough for you, and there are
ends sufficient for it, though this obedience be not the price you
are to bring, from whence you are to expect the gifts of God:
God requires your obedience to glorify him ; to be the manifesta-
tion of your thankfulness; for the good of your brethren ; for the
manifesting and accomplishing his gifts in the use of ordinances ;
but that these should be a price, is a gross mistake. Do not
dream that your conscionable walking before God here, is the
thing that must commend you to him hereafter; nothing but
Jesus Christ, sent out of the love and bowels of the Father, can
possibly commend you to God, Do not think this, or that, you
do, is that price from whence you are to expect the things of God ;
but, know, that these are given of him. I shall run over some
heads very briefly, for I see I am much prevented.
Secondly, Therefore, besides sale, God's gifts are not a .oan
neither ; this is a great consideration. The things that we have
ot God, as they are a gift, so they are not a loan ; what we receive
of him, are not lent. There is a difference between lending, and
giving ; he that lends money, looks it should be paid again ; he
that gives it, gives it for ever, without ever looking for it again.
The things of God, as they are given, so he doth not look for
o
i94 ' THE GREAT OIVER,
them again. Vou know, it -is a ridiculous thing to give a thing,
a'Hl take it ai^aln ; we count this children's play. How many of
God's children, in temptation, look upon the things that God hath
given them, and yet suspect he will take them again ? What is
lent, men may challenge again ; but, when a man gives a thing,
it is injustice for him to challenge it any more ; there is the
difference between lending and giving. If God gives things to
men, and takes them again, he relinquisheth and frustrateth his
own act ; for if he takes them away, they were not given. A
deed of gift, and title of land by deed of gift, are as firm as a
title by purchase ; Avhat God hath given, he cannot call in again.
I speak this to the consolation of trembling spirits ; they look
upon God bestowing himself, Christ, and his Spirit, and they
receive what God hath given ; yet their spirits tremble, and they
are afraid he will take these away again from them : they commit
such and such sins ; therefore, surely, say they, I shall lose that
I have ; remember the nature of a gift, and remember this too,
that whatever God hath given, he calls it not in again. Suppose
a father should deliver up and give all his lands and goods to his
son, and make a real deed of gift in law, passing it over to him,
as linn as law can make it: this son, peradventure, commits some
fault afterAvards ; can the Father call in this deed of gift, in respect
of the fault committed ? Thou art a son of God, and a darling of
his; it may be thou hast committed many sins; for " in many
things we sin all ;" doth God call in his deed ? Is not this deed
of gift enrolled in the word of grace, and upon record ? Tliis
very enrolling is sufficient security to thee ; thou canst not be
dispossest of it.
There are many think that such preaching gives way to licen-
tiousness ; I answered it fully the last time I was among you ;
" I beseech you by the mercies of God, present your bodies a
living sacrifice unto God." The consideration of the unchange-
ableness of the grace of God and his love ; there is no other means
in the world to keep men from sin, but this stands firm for ever.
As things are the gift of God, so they are unchangeable to them,
to whom they are given ; and the Lord give you wisdom, and un
derstanding, and his Spirit, to hold fast a truth of such infinite
concern to the joy and peace of your spirits; and till you receive
such unchangeable principles, whereupon the stability of your
peace is founded, you will be like waves of the sea tossed to and
AND HIS FREE GIFTS. 195
fro with Gvery wind of temptation ; you will nave every little
thing raise suspicions and jealousies in your spirits. But, be-
loved, " God is not a man, that he should lie, nor the son of
man, that he should repent: shall he say, and shall it not come
to pass ?" Numb, xxiii. 19. Shall God assent to a thing, and
how much more shall not he make good that word that he assents
to ? Certainly, when men give a thing, they will not take it
away, seeing the thing is given ; I say, the things of God are given,
and he cannot take them away : " The gates of hell shall not
prevail against you."
There are many things of useful consideration, if tune would
give me leave to open them to you.
Thirdly, The things of God are not only given, but they are
freely given.
I must not touch upon the heads ; there are these five things
considerable in a free gift ; I will but name them.
First, A free gift is, when a thing is given without compulsion j
a man doth not properly give his purse upon the highway, when
thieves force him to it ; things freelv given ai'e not compulsory,
but voluntary.
Secondly, Things may be given, but gruagingly ; they may
be given with a heart relucting against it ; as many men give to
the poor, to serve the necessity of the times ; but it goes to their
hearts to part with it ; here is a gift, but it is not a free gift, be-
cause the heart is not enlarged, here is not a ready heart; but
God doth not give grudgingly, he loves a cheerful giver, and doth so
himself, for " He waits that he may be gracious," Isa. xxx. 18.
Thirdly, A gift is free, and free indeed, when a thing is
given only out of the motion in, and from a man's own spirit,
without any external incentive and provocation to put him upon
such a gift. It is commendable, I confess, for a man to be per-
suaded by others to do good ; but the glory of free gifts stands in
the freeness of a man's own spirit without provocation. Know
thus much in general, all the things we receive from God, there
is no incentive, no provocation, no motive, as the original, to
stir or provoke him to give them. Let me tell you this, Christ
himself is not the original motive of the gift of God ; he is th<»
instrument, or, as the scripture saith, the mediator of our partak •
ing of the gifts of God; the love of God in himself is the firs*
fountain of all the gifts of God to us ; nay, the very fountain o,
o 2
196 THE GREAT GIVER,
Christ himself, to compass the fruition and enjoyment of these
gifts, that the love of God himself had first framed, composed, and
ordained for us ; much less then, can any creature in the world
have prevalency with God to stir up bowels in him, as if he needed
to be stirred up to do the good he doth ; that which he doth,
Cometh from the motion of his own thoughts rising in himself?
not being raised up by any thing without himself.
Fourthly, A gift is free, when it is bountiful ; such a man is a
free house-keeper; that is, he keeps a bountiful house : so the
gifts of God are free in respect of his bounty: God doth not sow
sparingly, but liberally; he giveth us freely to enjoy all things;
^' There is plenteous redemption with him," Psal. cxxx, 7. There
is abundance of satiety ; " They shall be abundantly satisfied with
the fatness of thy house, they shall drink of the river of thy
pleasure," Psal. xxxvi. 8. Here is a free God ; iere is freeness
indeed, in that he is a bountiful God, in all that he bestows upon the
sons of men ; he fills the cup to the brim, pressed down, heaped up,
and running over ; in this manner is the bounty of God expressed ;
*' He saves to the uttermost all them that come to God by him,"
lleb. vii. 25.
Fifthly and Lastly, A free gift is a gift that is unconditional ;
Qod doth not propose conditions before-hand, but gives his gifts
without respect to any condition. Beloved, do not mistake ; our
faith, and obedience-, are not the condition of God's gifts. That
in the song, of Zachariah is observable, " That he would grant
us, that being delivered out of the hands of our enemies, we might
serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him,
all the days of our lives ;" observe, this service " without fear in
holiness and righteousness all the days of our lives," is not the
condition of deliverance, that we might partake of it; but heie
is first deliverance, and then service is the fruit of it ; not dsliver-
ance the fruit of service ; God delivers, and then W6 serve ; and
the tenor of the gospel in this, is contrary to the tenor of the law ;
the tenor of the law runs thus, " First do, then live ;" the gospel
saith, " First live, then do;" " When thou wast in thy blood, I
said unto thee. Live ; then washed I thee with water, then put on
ornaments upon thee :" Thus, when you consider, the frame o
the gospel runs, that there is nothing comes to men, but as a free
gift of God, even Christ himself is so given ; do not think that
God gives Christ upon condition.
AND HIS FREE GIFTS. 197
Fourthly, What it is for men to know this gift of God ; there
is a two-fold knowledge ; in general, First, A knowledge of the
thing; Secondly, A knowledge of propi'iety in the thing; so there
is a two-fold knowledge of these things given ; First, The know-
ledge of the things given ; Secondly, The knowledge of propriety
in them; the knowledge of the thing itself given is two-fold;
First, Intellectual ; Secondly, Practical. The intellectual know-
ledge is the natural understanding of the thing in a proper sense ;
practical knowledge is a sensible knowledge. You may distin-
guish them thus, as the knowledge man has of the sweetness of
sugar in his understanding, and the knowledge of the sweetness
of it in the taste. There is a great deal of difference between
these two ; for the things of God that are given, may be known
intellectually in a common way, not only by the elect, but repro-
bate ; but the people of God only know them practically, that is,
they receive by degrees the sweetness of them, and God gives the
taste of them more and more to them.
Secondly, There is besides the knowledge of the thing, the
knowledge of propriety, which is this, when men know the things
of God, and know them as their own. It is one thing for a person
to know such a woman is wise, beautiful, and rich; and it Is
another thing to know this wise, beautiful, and rich woman is my
wife ; that I have a propriety in all she is, and hath : and so,
likewise, it is one thing for a woman to know that a man is a man
of parts, of wealth, and honour ; to know him that he is so, is one
thing, and to know him that is thus wise, rich, and honourable,
to be her husband, is another thing : so it is likewise in the know-
ledge of spiritual things ; it is one thing to know God and spi-
ritual things, another thing to know him by way of propriety, to
know that he gives himself to me as mine ; and so, likewise, of
all the rest of the particulars that are given ; as Christ and the
Spirit : now all this comes not by the spirit of the world, but by
the Spirit that is of God. This I should have shewed more at
large ; but of this hereafter ; because I fear I have already tres-
passed upon your patience.
m
SERMON XIII.
KECONC ILIA T ION BY CHRIST ALONE.
2 CORINTHIANS v. 19.
TO WIT, THAT GOD WAS IN CHRIST RECONCILING THE W^ORLD
UNTO HIMSELF, NOT IMPUTING THEIR TRESPASSES UNTO THEM.
This great apostle of the Gentiles, Saint Paul I mean, though
he did not first break the ice, nor lay the first hand upon the wall
of partition between Jews and Gentiles, to pull it down, that they
might become both one in one Christ ; (for Peter went before
him, and was indeed the first in this business, though with great
bitterness of spirit even from the rest of the apostles themselves ;
who supposed that the glorious privileges of Christ, were to be
confined only to the nation of the Jews, as you may perceive in
Acts chap. viii. and ix. ; though Paul I say, was not the first)
yet, as he himself speaks in this business of publishing the grace
of God in Christ to the Gentiles, he laboured more abundantly
than they all ; of which labour of his, this chapter gives abundant
testimony, especially in the beginning of verse 14, where he gives
the great occasion, or motive, why he did preach Christ so clearly
and freely to the Gentiles ; " The love of Christ, (saith he) con-
strains me :" as if he should say, seeing that the glory of the
grace of God, hath so far extended itself, as that not only the
Jews, but also the Gentiles, may have a portion in him, it is a
pity that so much abundant grace which serves to the magnifying
of Christ so exceedingly should be concealed ; Christ hath done
: o much for me, thinks Paul, that it were an unworthy part in
mc to conceal that which should make so much unto his glory ,
the love wherewith he hath loved me, constrains me to do the
utmost (that he might have all his praise) to manifest his glory.
Therefore, having thus laid down the great motive that set him
on work to publish the gospel, he takes up this resolution to do
it, let it cost him what it will ; (as it is like to do all that will be
RECONCILIATION BY CHRIST ALONE. 109
go exact in publishing the gospel as ho was) yet the love of
Christ did so constrain him, that he cannot keep it in ; ne must
speak out this love of his. Thus he comes to the business in the
latter end of verse 14, " If one die for all*, then were ail
dead ;" his meaning is this, he puts the emphasis upon the word
all; and that emphasis is not spoken simply, but relatively and
comparatively ; as much as to say, It is not only the Jews have
part in the death of Christ, but all have a part in it ; If Christ
had an eye not only on the Jews, but on the Gentiles too, in his
death f; then, saith he, " all were dead," that is, all his people
have a part in that death.
Now, that the apostle here mainly intends the setting forth of
the largeness of God's grace in Christ, extending not only to the
Jews, but also to the Gentiles, verse 16, makes clear; for, saith
he there, " Henceforth know we no man after the flesh ; yea,
thouo-h we have known Christ after the flesh; yet henceforth
know we him so no more." Give me leave to open the meaning
of it ; for I must tell you there is a great deal of mistake con-
cerning the scope of the apostle in these words, which makes the
sense of them so obscure in the reading of them. The apostle
was once of the same mind with James, and the rest ; that Christ,
as he came of the flesh of Abraham, and so, according to the
flesh, was of the kindred of all the Jews ; they verily thought that
the virtue of Christ, and redemption by him, had extended no
further than to the flesh, that is, to the same flesh of which he
came ; they of the circumcision chide Peter, that he should offer
to go without the bounds of the Jews, to preach the gospel to
them, which they thought had no part in it; the apostle was of
this mind once ; but " Henceforth (saith he) know I no man
after the flesh;" that is, I will never preach Christ after the
flesh, as if none had share in him but those that are of the kin-
dred of which he came ; nay, saith he, " Though I have known
Christ thus after the flesh, henceforth I know him so no more ;"
ivhere he expounds what he spake before ; as if he should say, I
thouffht Christ had had a mind to save none but the kindred of
* The sense of the passage is not that Christ died for all that wore dead, but that
all wore dead for whom he died ; and the meaning is, that if Christ died for all, then
all Ihose were dead for whom he died.
Wherefore this text does not inako for the doctrine of general redemption ; for it
should be observed, that it does not say that Christ died for all men, but for il!; and
80, agreeable to the Scriptures, niav be understood of all the pcrBons mentioned.
i Rev. V. 9.
200 KRCONCILIITION BY CHRIST ALONE,
whiili he i.'amo , I will know him thus no longer; I will preach
the gospel so no more ; 1 will preach it no more to the Jews
than to the Gentiles ; they that are not of the flesh of Christ, have
as great a portion in him as those that are of his flesh.
Hence he begins to gather up his main doctrine which he.
would preach to the Gentiles, and that he brings in verse 17,
" If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature ;" where
the emphasis lies upon any man ; If any man be in Christ, he is
a new creature; as if he should say. This is the new doctrine I
will now preach to the world ; not if the Jew be in Christ ; but
if any man in the world be in him, he is a new creature ; every
man in the world hath this privilege, as well as the Jews ; if any
man be • in Christ, he shall be a new creature, as well as the
Jews : and because of some obscurity in this phrase, therefore,
in verse 18, the apostle expounds his own meaning, what he in-
tends by a new creature. Give me leave to open this place to you ;
for I must tell you there are some great mistakes in this point.
Most men think that this phrase, new creature^ is a renewed,
sanctified man, so as he becomes new in his own conversation,
when his life is changed ; I do not deny the truth of the thing,
all that are in Christ, he renews them, sanctifies them, and sub-
dues iniquity in them; but, under favour, let me tell you, the
apostle's meaning here by new creature is, not that they are
sanctified ; but that they are new creatures, that is, they are re-
conciled unto God ; this is his meaning ; " If any man be in
Christ, he is a new creature ; that is, he is brought into a new
condition that he was not in before ; and this new condition is,
he is noAv reconciled unto God ; whereas, before, he was an alien
^nd stranger to him.
But, you will say, How will it appear that the apostle's new
creature is a person reconciled, and considered as reconciled,
and not as sanctified ?
I answer. This is clear by verse 18, " For, all things are of
God, who hath reconciled us unto himself by Jesus Christ, and
hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation." Mark well ;
the main thing he drives at here is, to let the Corinthians know,
and us with them, what the main ministry was which Christ had
committed unto them; which was this, to publish, that " If any
man be in Christ, he is a new creature." What is that? namely,
that " God, from whom all things are, hath reconciled us to him-
RECONCILIATION BY CHRIST ALONE. 201
nelf by Jesus Christ ;" this was the ministry which was commit-
ted unto them.
Now, if the apostle had spoken here of sanctification, he
would have said, that the ministry committed unto him, with the
rest, was a ministry of sanctification, as well as reconciliation ;
but the ministry God committed to him here was this, God re-
conciling men to himself by Jesus Christ ; so that the being a
new creature here, which was the ministry committed to the
apostle, is reconciliation with God by Jesus Christ. Now in
verse 19, the text that I have read unto you, he begins anew to
explain more particularly, what this ministry is that the Lord
halh committed unto him ; " To wit, (saith he) that God was in
Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their
trespasses unto them ; and hath committed unto us the word of
leconciliation." And, therefore, in the next verse you shall find,
he makes this so essential a business to the ministry of the
gospel, that he calls himself, and the rest, ambassadors, and
ambassadors for this very purpose, namely, in Christ's stead, to
beseech people that they would be reconciled unto God ; and
then, in the closure of the chapter, he tells them what the
fruits of this reconciliation are, and by Avhat means we come to
partake of it: " He was made sin for us, that knew no sin;
that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." From
which words I might observe to you, as they have reference to
the coherence.
First, What the great and main business of us that profess
ourselves to be the ministers of Christ, ought to be in the world
with men. It is to be lamented, I confess, and I would to God
there were no occasion to speak of it, whilst we profess ourselves
lo be the ambassadors of Christ, to dispatch this great business,
to beseech men in Christ's stead to be reconciled unto God ; we
are too much the ministers of Moses, pressing and thundering
the wrath of God from heaven ; publishing unto men the work-
ing out their own salvation by their own works, according to the
law ; putting on them the performance of duties in every parti-
cular, that they may have peace and joy of spirit from it ; tell-
ing them, that they must make their peace with God, by fasting,
and prayer, and mourning : is this to beseech men in Christ's
stead to be reconciled unto God by Christ alone ? This is the
embassage of the ministers of the gospel ; and whoever he be
202 RECONCILIATION Bf CHRIST ALONE.
that forsakes this message, he goes, and is not sent , he takes
upon him to manage a business out of his commission ; for the
commission is, that we in Christ's stead should beseech men to
be reconciled unto God, and that by the blood of Christ alone.
Secondly, I might note a thing, which, peradventure, puzzles
the heads of many people, how you may understand those many
texts of scripture that speak so largely of the extent of the death
of Christ, " He died not for our sins only, but for the sins of the
whole world :" and so verse 14, " If one died for all, then were
all dead." From whence many collect the universality of re-
demption unto all particular persons in the world* ; but from
this coherence you may plainly perceive, that the apostle's main
drift is not that every particular person partakes of reconciliation
by Christ; he doth not speak of every particular, but in opposi-
tion to the Jews ; as if he should say, you mistake yourselves,
you that are of the Jews, that boast of Christ, as if there were no
Christ but in yourselves ; no, saith he, you are mistaken, he goes
beyond you, he goes over all the world. And when St. John
saith, (1 John ii. 2,) " And not for our sins only, but for the sins
of the whole world," he doth not say ours, in reference to be-
lievers, but he saith ours, as he was naturally of the stock of
Abraham ; when he saith, " Not for our sins only, but for the
sins of the whole world," he doth not oppose the world unto the
elect, but the v/orld of the elect unto the Jews ; and his
meaning is, all the world hath a part in Christ, and in every
corner of it there is a portion of Christ, as well as there is in us,
who are of the seed of Abraham ; and, therefore, the apostle
(Rom. iv. 13,) saith expressly, " That the promise is not made
• The learned Hoornbeeck asserts, that the Doctor from this passage, and 1 John
ii. 2, after quoted, " Collects the universality of the redemption of all particular per-
sons in the world, though all are not partakers of that reconciliation ;" in which this
learned man appears to be mistaken; for the Doctor does not collect this himself, only
says, Many collect it from hence ; and he himself seems to be of a diiferent mind by
the adversative BUT from this coherence, &c. and expressly says, the apostle does not
speak of every particular person, but in opposition to the Jews ; and so, on the other
text, 1 John ii. 2, he observes, that the apostle does not oppose the world unto the
elect, but the world of the elect unto the Jews ; and suggests that there are some in
all the world, and in every corner of it, that have a part in Christ, and are his portion ;
which is very far from the doctrine of general redemption: and though the Doctor
sometimes uses some general phrases, when off his guard, yet I cannot think he held
the doctrine of universal redemption ; and this learned Professor himself, who is the
only one I ever met with that charged the Doctor with it, seems to have some hesita-
tion himself about it ; for he says, (of the Doctor and those in his time called Anti-
nomians) ''Rcdemptionem decent aliquam universalem, they teach some sort of
universal redemption, or universal redemption in some sense."— Vide Hoornbeeck's
Summ. Controvers, 1. 10, p. 702, 703.
HEOONCILIATION BY CHRIST ALONE. 203
to Abraham, and to his seed after the flesh," but to his seed after
the Spirit, " that walk in the steps of the faith of Abraham." By
this you may be able to resolve those manifold difficulties that
arise from the universality of the tender of grace by Christ unto
the world; the world, I say, is opposed only unto the narrow con-
fines of the Jews, and includes not particular persons; but this is
not that I mainly drive at for the present.
I come to the text itself The substance of the main ministry
of the apostle stands in this, that " God is in Christ reconciling
the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them."
In which you may observe with me,
First, The great grace, that living, lively, and heart-reviving
grace the apostle brings to light, and commends, to the com-
forting of the hearts of God's people, and that is reconciliation
with God.
Secondly, Note here, the original author or efficient of this re-
conciliation and grace, that is, God himself.
Thirdly, Note here, the main means by which this reconcilia-
tion is effected, and that is Christ himself alone ; " God was in
Christ."
Fourthly, Note this, the time when this reconciliation was
made between Qod and persons in particular. The apostle him-
self, though he lived so many years before us, speaks of it as a
thing already past ; he doth not say God is, or will be, but he
speaks in the preter-perfect tense, "God was in Christ reconcil-
ing the world unto himself;" it is a thing long before finished
perfectly to our hands ; that we may, when God hath given us
eyes to behold it, see it as a thing already done, and perfected
before, and not now perfecting, much less now to be begun.
Fifthly, We may note the persons with whom God in Christ
is reconciled, and that is the world ; " God was in Christ, recon-
ciling the world unto himself."
The principal thing I mean to drive at, is the consideration of
the great grace that the apostle brings here to light ; and tJiat is
reconciliation with God; " God was in Christ, reconcilino- the
world unto himself."
What is it (will you say) for God to be reconciled to persons ?
For the clearing of this. First, note, something is to be pre-
mised as a necessary antecedent to reconciliation itself. Unto
reconciliation, of necessity there must be supposed something to
204 RECONCILIATION BY CimiST ALONE.
be done by us, occasioning a breach between God and us ; ad-
ministering such just cause of distaste, and of offence, as not only
caused God to separate himself afar off from men, but also to
prepare wrath and vengeance. Wherever there is reconciliation,
it is s'3ppos('d there was a breach made ; and, upon the breach
made, reconciliation is the bringing persons, thus at distance and
difference by a breach, to become one again ; and, therefore, you
must know, there is no man under heaven reconciled unto God
but as he is, or was considered as walking contrary unto God ;
and that this contrary walking unto him hath occasioned a breach
between God and him. And, therefore, you shall find, when the
apostle speaks of our being reconciled unto God, he brings still
in this clause, that there were estrangement and distance, before
such union and reconciliation: as in Eph. ii. 13, you shall find
how he brings in the previous consideration ; " You, (saith he)
who were sometimes afar off, are made nigh by the blood of
Christ ;" this making nigh, or bringing together, is the recon-
ciliation that is made with God; and the persons, that are thus
made nigh, before their bringing nigh, are said to be afar off;
as much as to say, there is that contrariety between God and man
natural!}^, that puts him afar off from God, and makes him remol*-
" He beholds the wicked afar off," (saith the Psalmist) Psal.
cxxxviii. 6. God keeps at a distance with men, when they walk
in a way giving distaste and offence unto him ; and it is the
business of Christ to bring them nigh again, those that were thus
sometimes afar off. But the apostle speaks more plainly in Col.
. 21, 22. " You, (saith he,) that were sometimes alienated (or
estranged, that is to say, from God) and enemies in your minds
throvigh wicked works, hath he now reconciled." Where he not
only shews there is a remote distance, and a kind of estrangement
Detween God and men, before reconciliation ; but he delivers the
true proper ground from whence this alienation proceeds ; " who
were alienated in your minds by reason of your wicked works :"
our wicked Avorks are they that cause alienation and estrangement
from God ; " And," saith he, " you who were thus sometimes
alienated, are reconciled by Christ." And, therefore, know, this
must be laid down as a certain position, and be received of men,
that in respect of themselves they are alienated and estranged
persons, and the wickedness of their ways is that which causeth
this alienation, and estrangement, and separation, from Goo.
RECONCILIATION BY CHRIST ALONE. 205
But some (it may be) will object ; Was there ever a time that
God was alienated and estranged as an enemy to those people of
his, with whom he is now reconciled? Some will say, God loves
his people with an everlasting love, and he never looks upon hi.s
people but with a look of love, and with a look of union.
For answer to this, give me leave to clear a mystery unto you ,
this seems to be a kind of paradox, that God should, from all
eternity, look with eyes of love upon his people, and yet there
should be a time in which there should be an alienation or
enmity between God and them. For the reconciliation of this
difference, you must know, it is one thing for God to recollect
all future things that shall come in all the several times of the
world, into one thought of his own ; and it is another thing for
these things to come to pass in their several times, according to
their own nature. You must know, it is true, that in God's
eternal thoughts, according to the infinite vastness of his own
comprehension, he did sum up, from first to last, all the occur-
rences and passages which in succession of time should come to
pass. As for example : — ^he had at once in his eye man in his
innocency, in his fall, and in his restoration by Christ ; he had
in his eye man committing sin against him from time to time ;
and, at the same instant, had in his eye Christ dying for these
sins of men, and so satisfying his own justice for their trans-
gressions, Now, because God had all things at once in his eye,
which, in respect of their actual being, are in succession of
time ; therefore, it comes to pass, that God, from all eternity,
had everlasting love unto his own people, though in time they
do those actions which, in their own nature, are enmity against
God. For example ; you and I are, it may be, this moment
committing some sin, which is enmity to the nature of God ;
that sin, simply considered in its own nature, hath an estrange-
ment in it, to separate between us and God; but though
it is true, that sin committed hath, in its own nature, a power of
separating ; yet, as God from all eternity had the present sins we
now commit, in his eye, and at the same moment had the satis-
faction in his eye ; from hence it comes to pass, there was not a
time in which God actually stood at enmity with our persons :
but, in respect of the nature of things coming successively to
pass, man's condition may be considered as a condition of
enmity ; and again, it may be considered as a condition of re-
500 RECONCILIATION BY CHRIST ALONE.
conciliation to God. That you and I were born in sin is true,
and that this our being born in sin was a state of enmity against
God, is as true ; that in the fulness of time Christ came into the
world, and then actually did bear our sins, by which God
became reconciled unto us again, is also most certainly tme.
There is a great distance of time between sin committed, and
that satisfaction actually made; but in respect of God's eye
lookino" upon all things at once, there is no distance of time be-
tween that enmity which sin did produce, and that reconciliation
which the blood of Christ hath wrought, to take away this en-
mity. I hope, though this be a high mystery, yet it will be clear
to such that will but take into consideration that difference
between God's own simple act of comprising all the sins of the
world at once (I mean that infinite act of God in that infinite
comprehension of his), and the succession of things in their own
time and nature ; this being supposed, that persons actually do
that which is enmity, and that which makes a difference and
separation.
Reconciliation itself briefly stands in this, namely, that what-
ever breach there was, or was occasioned by any act of man in it,
all these breaches are quite made up, and taken away : when God
is reconciled to persons, he hath no more quarrel with, nor con-
troversy against them with whom he is reconciled ; though this
day, yesterday, to-morrow, and the next day, thou dost commit a
sin, which, in its own nature, is enmity, and may occasion abroach
between God and thee ; yet, I say, if God be once reconciled,
all whatever administers any quarrel or controversy between God
and thee, is absolutely taken up ; he hath no more to object
against thee, or to hit thee in the teeth withal. Understand, I
beseech you, the nature of reconciliation, and you shall find there
is more in it than usually is apprehended : you know as long as
men stomach one another, and, as often as they have occasion,
are quarrelling one with another; all this while these persons are
not recoiiciled indeed, though peradventure there may be some
complimental shaking of hands ; if still there be snarling one at
another, and stomaching one another, they are not reconciled : so
I say, is God quarrelling with thy spirit ? is he still hitting thee
in the teeth with such and such sins, thou committest against him ?
is the bitterness of God poured upon thee ? is his wrath revealed
against thee? I say, if there be this wrath of God at any time
RKCONCILTATION BY CHRIST ALONE. '^Jt
truly revealed against thee, there is not yet a reconciliation of
God towards thee. In reconciliation there are no old grudgings,
quarrellings, and controversies ; there is no hearing of them any
more ; in that there are forgiving and forgetting, as you use to
say ; and all this, whatever it is with men, it is thus with God;
wherever God is reconciled, he forgives and forgets for ever.
Therefore you shall find when the Lord speaks of reconciliation
in the covenant, lie saith, " I will be their God, and they shall
be my people ;" here is the drawing and making a person one
with himself; " And your sins and your iniquities will I remem-
ber no more," follows it. I beseech you, observe it well, there
is a great deal of matter in this expression, and this will give you
rest if ever you have it. Either you must deny God is recon-
ciled, or you must conclude he hath forgiven your transgressions,
and he will remember your sins no more.
It may be you feel much corruption venting itself; though you
act this and that transgression at this time, if God be reconciled
to you, he doth not remember your sins you now commit ; " Your
sins," mark it well, because I know it is harsh to men, and con-
trary to sense and reason, yet it must be true, because the Lord
hath spoken it ; " Your sins, and your iniquities, I will remember
no more." You will say, when ? I answer, Avhen God is entered
into covenant with a people ; " And this shall be the covenant
I will make in those days," saith the Lord, " I will sprinkle you
with clean w^ater, and your sins and iniquities I will remember
no more."
How can this be, you will say, is God grown so forgetful, that
he takes no notice, that at this instant I sin, and cannot he re-
member I sin ? This seems to be a mighty strange argument.
Now suppose I could not answer this ; is this a truth that God
saith, or no, " Your sins and your iniquities I will remember no
more ?" If this be not a truth, then the word of God is untrue,
and then farew^ell all the ground upon which a person ought to
build ; but let God be true, and every man a liar ; therefore, to
clear it, I say, God remembers, and knows well enough that we
act this : his meaning then is, I will remember them no more, to
hit you in the teeth with them ; I will have no more to say to you
for these transgressions you now commit ; for all that he has to
say against iniquity, against this present iniquity committed; he
hath said it over to Christ already, when he wa-s upon the cross i
208 RECONCILIATION BY CIiniST ALONE.
and this sin now committed was then in the remembrance of God;
he took the full payment for it, and for that sin that shall be
committed to-morrow, unto the end of the world, he took all the
payment of Christ ; therefore he will never repeat them over to
you ; this is God's way, not to hit his people in covenant in the
teeth, nor upbraid them with any sin they commit ; this is plain
in the latter end of the text, " Not imputing their trespasses unto
them:" as if he had said, I will never call you to an account for
the sins you commit ; I will never tax you for them ; you shall
be in mine eyes as if you did not sin; all that I mean to ask, I
have it already, at the hands of my Son ; " I have beheld the
travail of his soul, (Isa. liii. 11,) and am satisfied" with the be-
holding of it. In Isa. xxvii. 4, you have a notable expression,
" Fury is not in me," saith God. You will say, how can that
be ; is not God angry ? Doth he not pour out his wrath and ven-
geance 1 Doth not his fury burn against sin ? The prophet speaks
in the name of God in that place ; " Fury is not in me :" but if
you will read the passage well, observe it, and you shall find of
what time the Lord speaks this ; he speaks not of the present, but
of a certain time that he prophesieth of. The Lord hath a vine-
yard, he watcheth over it, and waters it night and day : and this
vineyard shall enlarge its borders, and shall spread itself over all
the world ; the meaning then is this ; there is a time to come,
wherein the people of the Lord, the vine of the Lord shall spread
itself, not in the garden of Israel only, but all the world over;
that is, the Gentiles shall be received into fellowship with God,
as well as the Jews ; Christ shall come, and pull down the wall
of partition; and the gospel of Christ shall be preached all the
world over ; then " Fury shall not be in me ;" when Christ hath
offered up himself, and perfected for ever them that are sanctified,
then the Lord hath no more fury to pour out upon such as are in
him : when your reconciliation is made with God ; know from
the first time of it till your last breath, there shall not be the least
fury in God to you; for that is poured out upon Christ already,
and there is not one drop of that poison to be poured out upon
you. Isa. liv. 9, is a most admirable place ; " As I have sworn
(saith the Lord) that the waters of Noah shall no more go over
the earth, so have I sworn that I will not be wroth with thee, nor
rebuke thee." What not God be wroth with, nor so much as
rebuke persons? Yea, so saith the Lord, " I will not be wroth
RECONCILIATION BY CHRIST ALONE. 209
I have sworn unto thee, that as the waters of Noah," &c. You
know the Lord made a covenant, that there should never come
a flood to drown the world any more ; this covenant is firm, so as
that the water shall drown all the world again, before God will
be wroth with his people any more ; when is this ? Look into
the beginning of the chapter, and you shall see ; when the Jews
shall inherit the Gentiles, then it shall be.
But you will say, the Lord in that chapter saith, " For a little
moment have I hid my face ; in a little wrath I hid it," verse 8,
and therefore it seems God was v/roth and angry, then, when he
said he would not be wroth, and with the same people.
But mark it well, there is a great mistake, as if the Lord
spake all in that chapter to the same people ; he distinguisheth
between his present dealing with them, and with his people af-
terwards, when the Gentiles shall come into his fold; indeed it
is true, he saith, he forsook this church as the wife of his youth,
" But with everlasting kindness will 1 have mercy upon thee,"
«aith he: there was a time in which the Lord was wroth, and hid
nis face ; but there is a time when he will not only be kind, but
will have mercy with everlasting kindness; that is, a kindness
that hath no intervenings of wrath mixed, but that holds out, an
everlasting love; and this mercy without any wrath between,
should be when the people of the Jews should inherit the Gen-
tiles ; when the fulness of the Gentiles shall come in, by Christ's
taking away the wall of partition.
In brief, know this as a certain truth, God once reconciled is
so for ever; God is not such a changeling as to be reconciled to-
day, and fall out to-morrow again ; God when he is once become
friends with a man, he is so for ever; nothing shall break*
squares between God and him.
Again, Consider by what means this reconciliation is wrought,
and then it will be manifest unto you that God cannot be angry,
it is by Christ ; " God was in Christ reconciling the world unto
himself." I ask this question, did Christ fully satisfy the indig-
nation of God, or did he satisfy it only in part, leaving some re-
mainders of it for the creature to come after and bear ? If Christ
did not fully satisfy indignation, he is but a piece of a Saviour;
lie did not save to the uttermost; he should be no perfect
Saviour, if he did not satisfy the wrath of God to the utter-
• Rom. viii. 38, 39.
P
210 RECONCILIATION 6 1 CHRIST ALONE.
most; but if he did fully satisfy, as God himself " beheld
the travail of his soul, and was satisfied;" then all indig-
nation is past. Look as it is with men that are to make ac-
counts; suppose a mar. should account for a hundred seve-
ral suras, these accounts are not satisfied, except he satisfy
and pay every sum; if he pay ninety-nine sums, and leaves but
one unpaid, the creditor is not satisfied. Either Christ hath paid
all, or some must come after to pay the rest ; certainly indigna-
tion never ceases till there be satisfaction. Either God hath sa-
tisfaction perfectly in Christ, or a believer must pay the remain-
der ; either he hath the full of Christ, or a believer himself must
satisfy. Suppose that Christ had satisfied God's indignation for
all sins but one, and a believer must satisfy that one ; that one is
enough to damn him for ever; for he cannot give satisfaction for
one sin.
If Christ had satisfied for all, and had taken away the whole
indignation, how can God come and pour out new indignation?
And (to conclude) know this, that this perfect reconciliation,
this peace with God, is not a thing now to be agitated, and con-
troverted in heaven ; as if there were an act of parliament now
in hand, in hope it will pass, which must have some fear with it,
lest it should miscarry ; but God was in Christ, reconciling the
world unto himself. Let me tell you, whoever you are that can
claim a part in Christ, your reconciliation is finished to your
hands; Christ is now making reconciliation in heaven for you;
" God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself: he is not
now reconciling ; the thing is finished ; your reconciliation is
complete. God hath past it not only by vote and consent in
heaven, but he hath past it upon record under his hand, in the
ministry of the Gospel ; we hold out to you reconciliation done ;
we do not hold it forth as doing, or to be done with him ; but it
is done with him; if you do but close with it, the thing is finished
for you.
2n
SERMON XIV.
Christ's free welcome to all coMERb.
JOHN VI. 37.
and him that cometh to me, i will in no wise cast oj't
(or cast off).
These are the words of our Saviour ; the occasion was this,
he having not only a natural sympathy and compassion, but also
being a spiritual physician, disperses abroad common mercies in
an extraordinary manner. In the former chapter, he is plentiful
in healing the sick, and curing many diseases ; natural men, being
sensible of such kindnesses, flocked mightily after him. And
though Christ knew well enough what they were, as you shall
see by and by, yet he shuts not the bowels of compassion from
them in extremity : there were many ready to faint ; now, rather
than they should want supply, he would work another miracle,
and, with a few loaves and fishes, satisfy thousands of them, and
so he doth. This people finding good cheer, they are like dogs,
can scarce leave the house — (bear with the expression, for they
were no better, for all their flocking to Christ) — I say, they were
«o eager to follow him, no ground should hold them, Christ
lakes ship, and goes over sea to Capernaum ; no country is too
cold for them ; nay, the sea itself shall not part Christ and them ;
after him they will go.
Well, they come to him ; and, because he had been so kind
to feed them, they think they may be familiar with him ; and,
therefore, after their carnal fashion, begin to put questions unto
him, I say, in a fleshly way: in a low fashion, they begin to
argue with him, " How came he there ?" such poor silly stuff
they object to him. Well, though Christ had natural com-
passion, yet he will not soothe them in their folly and simplicity,
but deals roundly with them, and tells them plainly, they were
mistaken in him, if they thought his excellency did stand in
working miracles for food, for bread j he came on a highei
p2
2i2 Christ's free welcome
errand, and a business of greater consequence ; and, therefore,
tells them plainly, it was another business he came about ; their
thoughts must rise higher than the loaves ; " Labour not for the
meat that perisheth, but for that which endureth unto eternal
life." He comes about eternal life, he brings that which might
produce that unto them, and therefore counsels them to look
after it. Well, because they are in talk, they hold it on, though
to little purpose, and put another question to Christ, " What
shall we do that we may work the works of God ?" Naturally,
men are upon doing to get ; when we talk upon matters of reli-
gion, it is doing gets every thing ; therefore, they will be doing,
that they may have something : now, though Christ doth not
answer the question they made, being a silly one, yet he gives
them another answer that was to the purpose ; " This is the
work of God, to believe in him whom he hath sent," Never
look to get it by doing ; look to get it from him, and not from
yourselves, and your own doings.
When Christ had made that answer, they began to be a little
angry with him, and to put a cavilling question, or a question by
way of exception against him ; " What sign shewest thou, (say
they) that we may see and believe ? Moses gave us this bread
from heaven ;" (speaking of manna.) What doth Christ tell
them of life that he brings ? — ^What, is he better than Moses 1 —
Will he give better bread than manna was ? Well, (for all their
heat, passion, and peevishness) he will answer them again ;
" Moses did not give you that bread from heaven ;" and again,
" Your fathers did eat manna and are dead :" here he takes
them off from their great Rabbi, whom they mentioned as if he
was their Christ ; and also from their objection ; saying, that
the manna they did eat was but satisfactory for a time, there was
not life in it ; they that did eat it are dead ; and, therefore, he
comes to make application, and to shew wherein he excelled
Moses, and wherein that bread he brings exceeds manna, verse
35, " He that comes to me, shall not hunger; and he that be-
lieves in me, shall not thirst ;" they eat manna, and yet were
empty for all that ; they drank of the rock Moses smote, and yet
they were athirst again ; " But he that comes to me, shall not
hunger ;" I have so much as shall satisfy, there shall be no lack
at all.
After Christ had made this discourse, he begins to deal
TO ALL COMEIIS. 213
plainly with them indeed, and tells them, '' Though they had
seen, yet they believed not." It may be some discouragement
to men, that labour in the vineyard of the Lord, to see small fruit
of their labours ; but here, you see, Christ himself took a great
deal of pains with these men, and all to little purpose, or rather
to no purpose at all ; therefore, in verse 37, Christ comforts
himself against that common discomfort ; which was, though
these men believe not, yet, " All that the Father hath given me,
shall come to me ;" I shall have all that I expect ; I never look
for more than the Father gives me ; and of those that he gives,
I shall lose none : and then, afterwards, in the words of the text,
he comforts those that do come ; these, that would not come, he
leaves, and falls to consolation for his people that do come ;
" He that comes to me, I will in no wise cast him out."
The doctrine the words afford, will be natural, it shall not vary
a jot from the very words of the Holy Ghost; " He that comes
to Christ, he will in no wise cast him out :" mark it well, beloved,
there is abundance of life in it, to those whose eyes the Lord will
be pleased to open, to behold the fulness in it; I say, he that
comes to Christ, it is no matter who nor what he be, there is
nothing in the world can be considered as an hinderance to his
coming; if he do but come, he may be certain of this, " he shall
in no wise be cast out;" there is no man under heaven, be he as
vile as can possibly be imagined, if he do but come to Christ,
even while he is so, shall be rejected of him, or have a repulse.
Beloved, I desire the doctrine itself may be printed and stamped
in your spirits.
Give me leave to speak a few words in general, before I come
to particulars : I know, I may speak that which will be offence to
some, but I must speak the truth of the Lord, whatever men say.
I say, whatever thou art in this congregation, suppose a drunkard,
a whore-master, a swearer, a blasphemer and persecutor, a mad-
man in iniquity, couldst thou but come to Jesus Christ; I say,
come, only come, it is no matter though there be no alteration in
the world in thee*, in that instant when thou dost come ; I say,
* That is, no alteration visible to him, or others ; none in nis heart that he can
observe, or take any encouragement from ; nor any in his life and conversation observ-
able to men ; otherwise, there must be an alteration in him, or it is impossible for him
to come to Christ, that is, believe in him : he must have grace given him to draw him,
or he will never come, he cannot, John vi. 44 — 65. The desires of the soul must be
towards Christ ; there must be a sight of him, and of both the want and worth of him :
but the sense is, that a man that has been ever so vile, even to the very instant that
214 CHRIST S FREE WELCOME
at that instant, though thou be thus vile as can be imagined, come
to Christ ; he is untrue if he put thee out ; " In no wise, (saith
he) will I cast thee out,"
There are two sorts of people in the world that are given by
the Father to Christ, who yet, for the present, do not actually
come to him.
First, There are a sort of men in the world, elected indeed,
but, for the present, are wild asses upon the mountains, snuffing
up the wind, and as desperate in iniquity as the veriest reprobate
under heaven ; and yet there shall not be rejection of these persons
when they come ; I say, whensoever they come, though as sinful
as their skins can hold ; yet when they come to Christ, they shall
not be cast out ; for the present indeed, they despise their birth-
right, they scorn the grace of God, and cast it at their heels.
But there are a second sort of people given by God to Christ
that have not received him, and are not actually come to him ;
and yet for the present are wrought upon to be a willing people
in sorixe sort ; that is, the Lord hath dealt thus far with them, fain
they would close with Christ, fain they would conclude an interest
and portion in him ; Oh ! it would be welcome to them ; it would
be life to them, to be certainly satisfied that his blood is their
ransom, and that their sins are blotted out thereby ; I say, fain
they would, but they dare not yet close with Christ for their lives ;
he is called, and directed to Christ, and while he can see nothing else but sin in him,
he should not stay for any preparations and qualifications in him fitting him for Christ :
that is 'till his heart is cleansed, and his life reformed, but as vile a sinner as he is, and
in the view of all the notorious sins he has lived in, should go to Christ, and venture
his soul on him. — The design of these expressions, however offensive they may be to
some, is not to encourage men in sin ; nor do they suppose, that men, on coming to
Christ, may, or will continue such as they have been before; for an alteration in heart
and life, follows at once upon coming to Christ; by faith the heart is purified; that
works by love, and is attended with the fruits of righteousness ; but to shew that
nothing shon^ild hinder or discourage sensible sinners, though ever so vile, from imme-
diate coming to Christ, and that nothing will hinder him from receiving such, and that
such should not wait for any qualifications to fit them for him ; and if they had them,
should not bring them to him for that purpose ; but should come as sinners, and
commit their souls unto him, believing in him unto salvation. Thus Saul, in the
height of his rebellion, when his heart and mouth were filled with blasphemy against
Christ, and bitterness against his people, and in the full pursuit of these lusts, the
Lord called him by his grace, and revealed his Son in him ; Christ appeared to him ;
light shone around him ; grace reached his heart, and browght him at once to the feet
of Jesus ; hence he says, " I, who was before a blasphemer, a persecutor, and injurious
person, I obtained mercy ;" on which Beza has these words, " Hsec sunt opera prepa-
ratoria, (or, as in his Major Annotations, " en merita preparationis,") these are the
preparatory works the apostle sets himself off with ; for nothing intervenes between
his having been all this, and his obtaining mercy, as the cause of it, or as fitting hinn
for it ; and had he been guilty of adultery, drunkenness, and swearing, (crimes not
greater than what he had been guilty of) he could, and no doubt would have said, I
Paul, the adulterer, the drunkard, the swearer, I obtained mercy.
TO ALL COMERS. 215
they dare not set up their rest here ; they dare not sit down with
any such conclusion ; but still there is something or other, that
remains, that must be removed out of the way, before they can
make this certain conclusion, Christ is theirs : — now, my prin-
cipal errand is, at this time, to this latter sort of people ; a
people, I say, whose hearts tell them, if it could^appear clearly,
that, without danger to them, they may say, Christ is their salva-
tion, and sit down with this ; if they could be satisfied with it,
rather than their lives they would have Jesus Christ, but they
dare not : something or other is wanting, they dare not lay hold
upon him, and it is presumption for them to sit down satisfied,
Christ is theirs; this is the generation I am at present to deal
with, and to declare, by the power of Jesus Christ, his clear mind
to them, and by that power to pluck them out of the mire where-
in for the present they stick fast.
And that I may the better come upon the spirits of such loaden
persons, let us consider these three things :
First, What this coming to Christ is, that is here spoken of.
Secondly, What his purpose is in proposing this coming
to him.
Thirdly, What he means by this expression of his, " I will in
no wise cast him out."
I shall speak briefly of the two former, because the life of
Christ's purpose lies in the last of these particulars.
First, What doth Christ mean by coming unto him ? In verse
35, he will give you his mind himself, " He that comes unto me
shall not hunger, and he that believes in me shall not thirst ;"
mark it well, he makes coming and believing, in sense, all one ;
for if you observe it, such as Christ deals withal they are unsa-
tisfied and empty ones ; now he satisfies the empty ; and whose
emptiness will he fill 1 even of those that believe in him, that
come to him : believing and coming therefore are all one, so that
to come to Christ, is to believe in him. But we are as far to seek
as we were, you will say, what is that believing on Christ ? In
John i. 12, you shall see what it is to believe on him ;" As many as
received him, to them he gave power to become the sons of God,
even to them that believe on his name." Here he makes re-
ceiving and believing all one, as before he made coming and be-
lieving. The sum, in brief, is this — the coming to Christ is no
more but the receiving of him for shelter and succour. A man
216 CHRIST S FREE WELCOME
is said to come to a strong-hold, when he enters into it for his
security and safety ; he doth not stand hacking and hammering,
shall I, or shall 1 not? but danger forces him, and in he gets, the
door being open, and comes to his strong-hold: so a person
comes to Christ; Christ opening, he slips in, and ventures him-
self with him, and casts himself into his arms, and he will sink
or swim with him.
Beloved, whoever you are that can but come to him, be you
what you will, or may be, I say, if you come to him, to venture
yourselves upon the rock Christ, to sink or swim, as he will sup-
port or sink under you, counting him a refuge, to have him for
your succour ; " In no wise will he cast you out,"
But, Secondly, to what purpose doth Christ propose coming
here, will some say ? Beloved, I propound this the rather, be-
cause I conceive men mistake the mind of Christ, concerning
this coming. You must not imagine, that our motion of coming
is the primum mobile that gives motion to Christ to open and en-
tertain ; as if our coming did stir him up to set open, and give
entrance : Christ hath not any such thought in him that we must
come, and therefore will own us for his own ; for it is certainly
true, the very motion of our coming to Christ, is from himself,
and from his coming to us, before we do so much as move. It
is a common principle known to all divines, and most people ;
we are first acted, and then we act, acii agimus. First, Christ
gives to us to come, and then, by his gift, we come to him ; we
must not imagine, by coming- to Christ, he is moved and invited
towards us, and is stirred up to open to us, and give entertain-
ment to us ; but his first coming to us, and living in us, stirs us
up to motion : " You that were dead in sins and trespasses,
(Ephes. ii. 1,) hath he quickened." Beloved, is there death till
Christ quickens ? Where then can there be this motion of ours,
before he himself be come with his life ? Where there is no life,
you know there is no motion ; and till the fountain of life com-
municates it, there can be none ; therefore it is Christ that gives
this coming unto men, and he having given it, they come to him.
But what is the purpose of Christ then, in speaking of coming
here, as if this were a preparation, or a previous condition, that
there is no portion in Christ, till there be first coming ?
I answer, Mark the scope well, you shall find Christ doth not
intend a necessary condition, but the removal of all objections;
TO ALL COMERS. 217
he Qoth not ntend to put us on doing to get him, but to take
away all obstacles that may hinder us from coming to him : and
the emphasis of the text doth not lie upon coming, but upon this,
" In no wise will I cast them off:" as if he had said, you are
poor wretches ; you think I am so hard-hearted, I will cast you
off, you are so sinful : but let not this trouble you ; whatever
sinfulness you have, that, in common apprehension, may hinder
me from receiving you coming to me, for all this I will not cast
you out when you come. As when a man says to a poor man,
Come to my house, I will give you something ; he proposeth no
conditions but grace to him ; you shall have something, I will
give you this and that.
But, I will come to the Third, the main thing I intend at this
time, namely, what Christ intends when he saith, " I will in no
wise cast you out," Oh ! the depth and unsearchable grace that
is comprehended in these few words ! If it might shine with its
own brightness to your spirits, how would you go away leaping
and rejoicing, with joy unspeakable and glorious 1 Why, the
Lord is able to communicate to you, above all we are able to ask
or think. " I will in no wise cast you out ;" do but come, and
nothing, I say, nothing shall stand between you and me, to put
a bar to hinder an entrance to me.
There are two estates whereto this grace mentioned may belong ;
either that estate wherein is the breaking forth of the first light to
the soul ; or that estate wherein, after light is broken forth,
darkness seems to come again in the place of it ; and this passage
of Christ hath reference to both these estates.
First, The first estate wherein light begins first to break out,
the first dawning of the light of Christ. To give you an instance,
and so bring the business close : suppose a person, as the apostle
does, Eph. ii. 2, " You, who were dead in trespasses and sins,
hath he quickened ; wherein in times past ye walked, according
to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power
of the air, that now rules in the children of disobedience :" I say,
suppose a person to be in the worst condition you can imagine ;
single out the vilest man in the world, the notablest drunkard that
ever breathed, the greatest whore-master, and the lewdest per-
son that can be imagined ; such a person as this, and continuing
to this very instant, now before the Lord, as he was before,
without any change and alteration in the world until this time ;
218 CIIRIST^S FREB WELCOME
suppose such a person ; by this text it appears so manifest, that
if the Lord do but grant, and hath but put a willingness and
readiness of spirit into this man *, that Christ he would have, if
it might appear he might have him ; if his heart do but say, I
would have him, all that sinfulness, though to this instant con-
tinued in, is no bar in the world, but this man may claim his
portion in Christ, and have as certain security that his portion is
there, as any other man may have. Mark well, I say, this pas-
sage, " I will in no wise cast him out :" our Saviour plainly im-
ports, that there neither is, nor can be devised, no not by God
himself, any one consideration whatsoever, which might occa-
sion him to put off, or say nay, to any one that comes : no con-
sideration in the world, I say, can so aggravate a man's condi-
tion, could he make it as bad as the devils themselves ; yet, if
there be but a coming to Christ, there can be no consideration in
the highest pitch of sinfulness for him to reject, or put by a per-
son coming to him ; for, you must know, Christ is well ac-
quainted with all the objections the heart of man (nay the devil)
can make against the freeness of his grace, and life by him ; to
save labour, therefore, in this one passage, " I will in no wise
cast out," Christ at once answers all the objections that could be
made. And I dare be bold to maintain, in his name and stead ;
let a man but say, and lay down this for granted, come he would,
Christ he would have rather than his life ; let this be granted for
a truth, I will be bold with Christ out of this passage to answer
ten thousand objections, even fully to the silencing of every one
that can be made : " I will in no wise cast him out ;" that is, I
will upon no consideration that can be imagined and conceived.
I know the objections are many, and they seem to be very strong,
in respect of such a person to whom the Lord hath given a wil-
lingness and desire of spirit to close with Christ, and yet dare
not do the thing ; I say, they are many, and very strong ; but^
let them be what they will, you shall see by-and-by they come to
no value in the world, there is no strength in them. Let me tell
you, the Lord hath sent me, at this time, " to proclaim liberty
to such captives," that are in this sad, bitter, and (to their think-
ing) desperate condition ; liberty God hath given thee, if thou
wilt come freely ; nothing in the world shall hinder thee.
• Here you see clearly, the Doctor supposes willingness and readiness of spirit
to come to Christ, put into such a sinner ; which is owing to power and grace thai
making willing, and such a soul will never be rejected let him be ever so vile.
TO ALL COMERS. 219
But let us consider the objections that may be made, and
therein see what ground poor sinners may have to forsake their
own mercy, and so become their own tormentors.
I dare not close with Christ, (saith many a poor soul) if I sit
down and close with him, being satisfied with this argument,
Christ offers himself to sinners, this is presumption; why so? I
am the filthiest creature that ever breathed ; I should stink above
ground with my sins, if you knew what a creature I am, and
what an ungodly sinner I am ; I am a blasphemer ; I do nothing
but blaspheme the God of heaven ; and I blaspheme his word to
persecution : my spirit is mad against the gospel itself.
I answer, in a word, reckon up all you can imagine, suppose
the worst you can conceive, the truth of the worst, that you have
not belied yourselves a jot, in proposing the abominable filthi-
ness and loathsome baseness of your filthy condition ; suppose
this be imagined ; what of this ? Surely, as long as I am in
this case, Christ cannot belong to me, there is no coming to him
for me. If this be truth that you say, that such and such filthi-
ness stands between Christ and you, that though you come
there could be no entertainment with him for you ; supposing
this to be true, this that Christ speaks is most certainly false ;
for, saith he, " I will in no wise cast you off;" that is, upon no
consideration will I cast you off. You say, upon this considera-
tion, I am so abominably vile, there will be casting off; if this
you say be true, that which Christ saith, must be false ; there is
a point-blank contradiction between these two ; and, therefore
either Christ must call in these words again, thus generally deli-
vered, and he must put in this exception that you put in, or else
his word and yours cannot agree.
You say, upon such considerations, there is no admittance ,
and upon such and such there is admittance ; Christ saith,
" I will in np wise cast you out ;" notwithstanding this con-
sideration, I will receive you, be you what you will, do but
come, and for all that, you shall be welcome.
But, some will say, men must be fitted for Christ, before he
will ever own them.
I answer again, is there this exception put into the grant of
Christ, except you be fitted for me, I will cast you out ? Then
ou may say indeed, except you be fitted for him he will cast
out; but then, I say, how can this be true, •* ) v'lW in no
220 CHRIST*S FREE WELCOME
wise cast him out ?" The words must run thus, " Him that
comes to me, (if he be fitted and prepared) I will in no wise
cast out ;" but if he be not fitted and prepared, I will cast him
out ; but do they run so ? Christ looks not for fitness, but
people may be capable of communion with him without fitness ;
he takes them into communion with himself, and afterwards fits
them for it, as he would have them ; but, beforehand, there is no
fitness ; suppose what fitness you will, in expecting the grant, I
say, in expecting the grant of Christ, fitness or not fitness is all
one ; " Come to me, I will in no wise cast you out."
Peradventure, though the text seems to be so clear, yet you
will say, surely the grace of God is not so large as you seem to
express it ? There must be something expected and considered
in the person coming, or thei'e will be no receiving and enter-
taining by Christ.
I answer, it were an easy thing, (if time would give leave) to
shew, that through the whole scripture, the Lord Christ hath
such a purpose to set forth the glory of the grace of his Father,
as that he will have men know, that all the fitness of persons,
to communicate or participate of Christ, is their desperate sin-
fnlness ; I say, nothing but sinfulness is that which is the fitness
that Christ looks for in men *. I beseech you, peruse that
passage, never to be forgotten (Ezek. xvi.), where the Holy
Ghost, in the beginning of the chapter, first states the case con-
cerning the condition of persons ; then makes the conclusion,
the state being granted. Suppose your condition of sinfulness
rise up to the height of the illustration there mentioned, of a
child polluted in its blood ; which kind of expression the Holy
Ghost useth, as that which doth, of all other things in the world,
most set out the loathsome nastiness, and intolerable filthiness of
sin in men ; " Thy father was an Amorite, thy mother was an
Hittite ; in the day of thy nativity thy naval was not cut, thou
wast polluted in thy blood, neither wast thou washed with water
to supple thee, thou wast not salted at all, nor swaddled at all ;
and no eye pitied thee, to do any of these things unto thee ; but
thou wast cast out, to the loathing of thy person." Here is the
nature of the sinfulness of persons polluted in blood. There
was such a filthy loathsomeness in this pollution, that it was
* Not what makes a soul lovely to Chriit, but what makes Christ necessary and
Duitable to that.
TO ALL COMERS. 221
beyond the pity of any creature ; it was so abominably filthy, that
there was no place for pity ; nay, more, such pollution of blood
there was, that did occasion casting out, as if the abiding of that
person in the room any longer, would poison all the rest ; and,
therefore, because there could not be an enduring of that loath-
someness any longer, there must be flinging out upon the dung-
hill.
Suppose your sins rise to this very height, and there is such a
stench of filthiness in them, that all the world should even vomit
to think of that sinfulness that you have acted and committed :
— what of all this 1 Surely, you will say, there is no portion in
Christ for me, as long as my case is such a case as this. Ob-
serve the strange expression of the Holy Ghost, " When I
passed by thee, and saw thee polluted in thy blood, I said unto
thee. Live ;" there is a great deal of difference between saying,
Z/ive, and casting mii of such persons ; when no eye pitied thee,
that time which was the time of thy blood, "that time was the
time of love." This is strange indeed, that all the creatures in
the world should turn against such a person, as should be so
abominable, that men should abhor him ; and yet the time of his
pollution, should be Christ's time of love. Well, but you will
say, Surely, before Christ will communicate himself, and give up
himself to such men, for all this, the case must be altered with
them; you shall see it is no such matter, but directly the con-
trary ; " Thy time was the time of love, and I spread my skirt
over thee, and covered thy nakedness ; yea, I sware unto thee,
saith the Lord God, and thou becamest mine." — What strange
expressions are here ! Methinks your hearts cannot but be wrapped
up into heaven, in admiration of them : these the Lord aggravates
to the highest terms that can be imagined ; setting forth the most
horrible loathsomeness of the sinfulness of men ; and yet that
time of sinfulness, was the time of God's love ; and not only so,
but a time wherein God sware to, and entered into covenant with
this person, and became his.
But, you will say, there was some cleansing before. You shall
see the Holy Ghost in the next words makes it appear it is not
so ; mark the words well, " Then washed I thee with water; yea,
I thoroughly washed away thy blood :" then, when I entered into
covenant with thee, and thou becamest mine. Here was not first
a washing, and then swearing, and entering into a covenant ; but
222 CHRIST^S FRRi: WELCOME
there was first swearing and entering into covenant, and then
washing with water afterwards : here is a coming and closing with
Jesus Christ, even while the state of a person is the filthiest in
the world ; and I tell you, beloved, either you must close with
Christ for your comfort, unworthy as you are, or you must never
receive him while you live. " Christ came not to call the righteous,
but sinners to repentance." You that will bring righteousness
with you to be received of Christ ; I tell you, he came not to
save such persons ; " Christ came to save that which was lost:
he died for the ungodly," Rom. v. 6.
But, you will say, for all this high aggravation of loathsomeness
of sinfulness, my case is worse than all this that you speak of;
therefore there is something in my condition, that if I come to
Christ he must cast me off; here is nothing but positive filthiness :
it is true, indeed, this condition is very bad, but my case rises
higher; besides a positive loathsomeness in myself, I am a rebel,
a sturdy enemy, I fight against God, I quarrel with him, and take
up arms against him. Imagine your condition a condition of as
great enmity and madness against God, as your hearts can possibly
devise ; what then? Sure you will say, if I be such an enemy, I
must lay down arms before Christ will have to do with me, or
admit me to come to him. Will a king let a cut-throat traitor,
while he hath thoughts in his heart to murder him, will he let him
come with a naked knife into his presence, and graciously embrace
him in his arms ?
For answer. Still see the close of the text, observe that if this
be true, that in respect of this rebelliousness in thy spirit against
God, thou sayest, if I come, Christ will cast me off; these words
*' in no wise'^ cannot be true ; for here is a consideration, as
before, that makes an exception, and so frustrates thy entrance
to Christ, though there be coming.
Beloved, do you think it was out of the thoughts of Christ, to
wit, your enmity, and rebellion ? — And if he thought of it, do
you think he would not have put it in ? Surely he was wise
enough, and knew what he said, and certainly had rebelliousness
itself in his thoughts when he spake the words, in no wise;
and certainly this shall not prejudice you, but if you come to
Christ, he is as much yours as if you never took up arms against
him.
But to clear up this truth to you more fully, look into Psal.
TO ALL COMERS. 223
Ixviii. 18, " Thou hast ascended up on high, and hast led cap-
tivity captive, and thou hast received gifts for men, even for the
rebellious, that the Lord God might dwell among them. Mark
it well ; you say there is no dwelling for Christ with rebels, that
is your position ; I am a rebel, there can be no entertainment
with him for me ; but, saith the text (note it I pray) " He re-
ceived gifts for the rebellious, that the Lord God might dwell
among them." If that be not clear enough, look into Rom. v.
6, 7, 8, " If when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God
by the death of his Son, much more being reconciled we shall
be saved ;" mark the expression, it is a strange one ; you must
directly deny the truth of what the apostle says, if you will stand
to this principle, that as long as you are enemies there is no ad-
mittance unto Christ for you ; for, saith the text, " While we
were enemies, we were reconciled ;" not that Christ provided re-
conciliation for enemies, that when they be amended, they shall
be saved, but during enmity itselt they receive reconciliation.
I do not speak this to the intent that any should conceive that
God leaves persons rebellious, vile, and loathsome, as he finds
them *, when he closeth with them ; but, I say, at that time,
when the Lord closeth with persons, he closeth with them in
such a state of rebellion ; and if thou comest to Christ in this
condition, it manifestly shall appear to thee, ihat he will open
his bosom f for thy head to rest upon, as well as for the most
righteous person in the world, and his breast for thy mouth to
suck $.
He shuts the door to none that comes ; " Ho ! every one that
thirsteth, let him come and drink of the water of life freely."
Let every one ; there is not one exempted ; Yet, not /, saith one,
not /, saith another ; but the Holy Ghost saith, " let every one
come." No man under heaven that hath a heart to come, and
suck of the oreasts of Christ, but the way is free for him ; the
fountain is set open for all sin and uncleanness : at the pool of
Bethesda every impotent person might step in ; at the bath the
poorest man in the world may go, if he will, and step in; neither
is the loathsoraest person in the world excluded ; now Christ is
that bath opened for all comers ; there is no comer shall ever be
• And it should be observed, that all before spoken, is said to such who are
deemed sensible of their rebellion and vJleness; and also under some temptations that
Chciftt ■will not receive them, being so very sinful.
f J«hn xiii. 25 ; Cant. viii. 5. X ^^^' ^^^>' ^1> ^^'
224 Christ's free welcome
cast off; I dare be bold to say, there never did miscarry any per-
son in the world that did indeed come to him ; if there did any
miscarry, there is no credit to be given to the words of Christ
himself.
But I see I must hasten : I come to consider the power of this
expression to persons that had the light risen to them, but think
now darkness is come over them again ; I mean those that have
received Christ, and have believed, but something or other hath
happened, that even they suspect, that if they should come to him,
he would cast them off. But if the first proposition be granted,
►hat is discussed, then much more this : " He that spared not his
own Son, but gave him up for us all, how shall he not with him
give us all things ?" Rom. viii. 32. " If while we were enemies
we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more
being reconciled shall we be saved by his life," Rom. v, 10. If
while we are without strength, Christ in due time died for the
ungodly; if while we were sinners he died for us, how much
more shall we be saved from wrath being reconciled ! All this
is to shew, that if Christ did not shut out persons in the v/orst
condition, when they had no acquaintance at all with him, much
less will he cast out those that he had familiarity with in former
times ; there is no condition in the world a believer is subject to,
that may occasion the least suspicion that Christ will cast him
out, if he come.
But you will say, Suppose a believer falls into some scandalous
sins, and notorious sins, it may be to commit murder and adul-
tery together, as David did ; surely now there is some cause of
suspicion, that if he come presently to Christ after he commits
these things, he will send him packing. I answer, If this be true,
there must be a putting in of this exception into the text, If thou
art a believer commit such and such a sin, though thou comest
to me, I will cast thee out ; and if it be so, Christ must cut off
that large expression of his, " I will in no wise cast thee out."
You will say, this is strange doctrine: suppose a believer com-
mit adultery and murder, may he presently look upon Christ,
and in him see a discharge of his sins, and reconciliation by him,
and part in him, at that very time he commits them ? Surely
there must be large humiliation, and confession of these sins;
and there must be a long continuance in this too ; he must noj
apply comfort presently ; there must be more brokenness of
TO ALL COMERS. 285
heart yet, and more yet, and more yet : this is the objection of
the world.
I answer, I confess the crime is great in its kind, and, for the
present, it may silence the voice of truth itself; but whatever
becomes of it, that Christ may have the glory of his grace, and
the glory of that fulness of redemption wrought all at once ; let
me tell you, believers cannot commit those sins that may give
just occasion of suspicion to them, that if they come to Christ he
would cast them out: let me not be mistaken in that I say; I
know the enemies of the gospel will make an evil construction of
it; yet a believer, I say, cannot commit those sins that can give
occasion to him to suspect, that if he come presently to Christ,
he would cast him off.
But must not he confess first, and be afflicted in his soul, before
he can think he shall be received if he come ?
For answer to it ; I deny not, but acknowledge, when a believer
sins, he must confess these sins ; and the greatest end and ground
of this confession is that which Joshua speaks concerning Achan,
Josh, vii. 19. " My son, confess thy faults, and give glory to
God." A believer in confession of sin gives glory to the great
God of heaven and earth ; and that must be the glorious end of
the confession of his sin, that God may be owned, as the sole and
only Saviour : except we acknowledge sin, we cannot acknowledge
salvation : we cannot acknowledge any virtue in the works and
sufferings of Christ; he might have saved his labour, and never
come into the world ; all that he did could not be acknowledged
to be of worth to us, if there had not been sin from which he should
save us : he that indeed confesses his sin, confesses he had perished
if Christ had not died for him; nay, he confesseth, that nothing
in the world, but Christ, could save him.
Secondly, I grant, a believer should be sensible of sin, that is,
of the nature of it ; but this is that I mainly desire to imprint upon
your spirits, that he may certainly conclude, even before confession
of sin, the reconciliation that is made between God and him, the
interest he hath in Christ, and the love of Christ embracinsr him :
in a word, before a believer confesses his sin, he may be as certain
of the pardon of it, as after confession*. I say, there is as mucli
* Not that confession of sin is a needless thing ; the Doctor has before observed.
that when a believer sins, he must confess his sins, and points out the ends for which
confession is to be made ; but then he is not to consider this as the ground or cause
of the forgiveness of sin ; but being under a sense of sin committed, is at once to look
Q
226 Christ's free welcome
ground to be confident of the pardon of sin to a believer, as soon
as ever he hath committed it, though he hath not made a solemn
act of confession, as to believe it after he hath performed all the
humiliation in the world. What is the ground of the pardon of
sin? " I, even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions, for
mine own name's sake :" here is pardon, and the fountain of it is
in God himself. What is it that discharges a believer? the rise
of it is God's own sake : if this be the ground of pardon, then
this being held out, a believer may be assured of pardon as soon
as he commits any sin, and may close with it. Pardon of sin
depends upon the unchangeabieness of God, and not on the sta-
bility of the creature : all the pardon in the world that any person
shall enjoy, is revealed in this word of grace : and it is the most
absurd thing in the world to think that the soul may fetch out a
pardon any where, but in the word of grace. Is pardon held out
in it, and held out to sinners, as they are sinners ? And doth God
hold out his love to persons before good or evil be done by them,
that the purpose of God may stand according to election, not of
works, but of grace ? And doth a believer find it thus in the word
of grace, and may not he rest upon it when he finds it ? I beseech
you consider ; either Christ did not reckon with the Father for
all the sins of his people one with another, when he did offer up
himself, or he did ; if he left out such and such a scandalous sin
when he reckoned with him, then Christ did not save to the ut-
most all them that come to God by him ; then there must come
another Saviour, to reckon for that which he left out.
Well, you will say, Christ did reckon for all sin with his Father ;
if he did reckon with him for all, then did he pay him the full
price for every one, when he died upon the cross. Then the
Father being paid, satisfaction was acknowledged from his hand ;
he hath beheld the travail of his soul, and he is satisfied ; " And the
blood of Christ cleanseth us from all sin," 1 John i. 7. Wei],
doth God acknowledge full satisfaction for all sin under hand and
seal ? If it be so, what ground is there of suspicion that Christ
will not receive you, but cast you off for such and such trans -
to Christ, and deal with his blood for the pardon of it ; and not stay until a soleimi,
formal confession, is made, as if his pardon depended on that : we are to confess siu,
as Aaron confessed the sins of Israel, over the scape-goat ; and we should confess ours
over a sin-bearing Saviour, with a view to their being laid on him, and satisfied for, by
him ; and never does a soul more ingenuously confess sin, or more kind.'y mourn f*r
it, than when he has the clearest view cf the free, and full forgiyenesg of it, by the
Wood of Christ.
TO ALL COMERS. 227
gressions, rather than for such and such 1 If the reckoning were
for all, wherefore do you make such a distinction, where God
makes none? If it be made for all, one with another, and the
price be paid for all, wherein conies the ground of suspicion .
Hath God taken pay for all, and doth that sin, being committed,
appear before him still ? And must he have more than Christ
hath paid 1 Do not entertain such base thoughts of him. There
is not a sin committed this day, but it was as clear before God
from all eternity, with all the aggravation, as it is now ; and,
when God reckoned with Christ for the sins of believers, he took
into his consideration the utmost extent of every sin, what it
would rise unto, and took a price answerable to the nature and
quality of them, of his Son ; be they small or great, be they what
they will, the price was raised by the Father upon the back and
score of Christ, answerable to the transgression.
Now, hath Christ paid all to the utmost farthing ? how comes
God then to put in this as an exception, as if now there were
something done that requires something more than what Christ
hath done, before God and you can be friends ?
You will say peradventure, In all this will we directly strike
at all manner of meeting with God in humiliation and prayer,
and fasting and confession of sins.
I answer, with the apostle, " Do we herein make void the
law 1 God forbid ! yea, rather, we establish it." May not a
person come and acKuowledge his fault to his prince, after he
hath received his pardon vuider his hand, when he is brought
from the place of execution ? Nay, may not he acknowledge it
with melting and extreme bitterness of spirit, because he knoweth
he hath a pardon ? It is but a sordid and gross conceit in the
heart of men to think, that there can be no humiliation for sin,
except they be in despair ; I say, that when Christ reveals him-
self to your spirits, you shall find your hearts more wrought
upon, with sweet meltings, relentings, and breakings of spirit^
when you see your sins pardoned, than in the most despairing
condition you can be in. It hath been often taken notice of, ot
many malefactors, that though when they have come to the place
of execution their hearts have been so hard that they could not shed
a tear ; yet, when they have heard their pardon read, and seen
themselves out of danger, their hearts, that were so hard before,
hive melted into floods of tears : and so, I say, that heart tnat
q2
228 Christ's free welcome
could not relent to see the filthy loathsomeness of sin, while he
di<l not see his pardon, yet, after the knowledge of that, melts
into tears ; and hath such relenting that none in the world can
have, but he that knoweth it: I say, " The grace of God, which
brino"s salvation, having appeared unto men, doth more teach
them to live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present
world," than all the arguments besides can persuade men, even
for the glory of their God, the manifestation of their thankful-
ness to him, and the being fruitful unto others. We are to walk
in every way that God hath chalked out unto us ; but if we think
our righteousness, deep humiliation, large relents of spirits, sor-
row for sin, and our confession thereof, must make our way to
the bowels of Christ, take heed lest you set up a false Christ.
When you bring any thing' to Christ, you deprive him of that
which is his greatest prerogative, and give it to your fasting
and humiliations ; it is the prerogative of Christ alone to bring
you to himself. But, you will say, all the promises of pardon
run with this proviso, in case men humble themselves, and do
this and that, then pardon is theirs ; but otherwise it is none of
theirs ; take heed of such doctrine. We have had Arminianism
exceedingly exploded among us hitherto, and there hath been
much complaint against it; but if we conceive that God, in par-
doning sin, hath an eye to confession of it, here is the doing of
works for pardon of sin ; and how far short this comes of Armi-
nianism, let all the world judge.
Beloved, consider I beseech you, doth God give grace upon
obedience ? What power shall work such a disposition ? sup-
posing a branch be a branch of the wild vine that is mentioned
in tlie prophet Isaiah, such a branch as there is death in it, what
shall alter the nature of that deadness in it? Must not there be
an ingrafting of it into the true vine ? must not the wild olive
be put into the sweet olive, before it cease to be wild, and be-
come a good branch ? You must know, that we are all wild
vines, bringing forth fruit unto death ; how shall our qualities be
changed 1 Must we be changed first, and then being changed,
come to Christ? Is not Christ, the vine, who by virtue of our
union to himself, doth change our corrupt and bad natures ? Do
you think, that a branch of the wild olive, must become a branch
of the true olive before it can be put into it, and then, in regard
of that, be put into it? Oh! that the order of Christ may be
TO ALL COMERS.
220
established with you ; namely, his beginning to close with men
in blood, and the power of Christ thus beginning with thnn,
framing their spirits to himself, in such a manner, that neither
men, nor angels, nor any other creature, can frame any spirit
for him, till he come himself. It is certain, without him you can
do nothing; as he saith of himself, John xv. 5, and as the apostle
confesseth of him, Rom. vii. 18. How will you, therefore, have
gracious or previous dispositions and qualifications, as you call
them, before Christ can own you ; when as it must be Christ,
and he given, that must frame these dispositions in you ? You
nmst, you say, have eyes to see your folly and misery, and be
humbled in the sense thereof, and hearts to close with Christ, and
then he will become yours. How contrary is this, to the Lord,
by his prophet, Isa. xlii. " I give thee for a covenant to the
people, to open the blind eyes ?" Who opens these blind eyes,
but Christ, as he is given for a covenant to open them?
Can men see either their own folly, or behold their need of him,
or conceive the sweetness of him, while they are stark blind ?
Tliey are stark blind, till Christ, after he is given for a covenant,
opens the eyes of men. To think that men have their eyes opened
before they come to Christ, whereas when they come to him, he
opens them, is to say, we see when we are blind.
You shall see, in scripture, that Christ is given so freely to
men, that all considerations are taken away from them, that all
discouragements may be taken from a sinner, that if he come to
him, and close with him, if he have a heart, he may come with-
out bar.
To conclude : If there be any willingness in thee to close with
Christ, so that fain thou wouldest close with him if thou mightest;
I say, thou may'st receive all the embraces of Christ into
thy arms, and receive his kisses * upon thy mouth, with as much
boldness, and confidence, as any believer in the world ; for it is
not for their sakes, for their amendments and reformation, their
righteousness or holiness, that Christ hath mercy on them ; but
for his own sake it is that he embraces them, and manifests his
love unto them.
* Kisses, as they are indications of, so they are incentives to love. When the truth*
of the gospel come with power upon a sinner's heart, they let in, not only a great deal
of light, but also a large measure of love ; faith comes hereby, and that worki by love,
both to Christ and to his gospel.
^p
SERMON XV*.
OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS LOSS AND DUN<?.
PHILIPPIANS iii. 8, 9.
YHA, DOUBTLESS, AND I COUNT ALL THINGS BUT LOSS, FOR THE
EXCELLENCY OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST JESUS MY LORD.
FOR WHOM I HAVE SUFFERED THE LOSS OF ALL THINGS, AND
COUNT THEBI BUT DUNG, THAT I MAY WIN CHRIST. AND BE
FOUND IN HIM, NOT HAVING MINE OWN RIGHTEOUSNESS
WHICH IS OF THE LAW, BUT THAT WHICH IS THROUGH THE
FAITH OF CHRIST, THE RIGHTEOUSNESS WHICH IS OF GOD BY
FAITH.
The main drift of this apostle in the whole course of his
ministry, is not only to set out Christ, but also to set him alone ;
stripping man, and all things else, stark naked ; leaving not a
rag to cover, or a plaister to ease, or heal any jot of that univer-
sal leprosy overspreading man ; that Christ alone may be all in
all : which, through Christ's assistance, we will endeavour to
unriddle unto you ; (being a riddle indeed unto too many, who
think they see all in it with a glance) ploughing with this heifer
of the apostle, I mean the text I have read unto you. Now,
that you may the more clearly see the whole scope he aims at
here, you must well mark the coherence, how the foregoing dis-
course leads him unto what he here asserts : in verse 2, he gives
warning to take heed of dogs, evil workers, and the concision.
In verse 3, he intimates in what regard we should beware of
them, namely, in not entertaining their principles, which lead to
a confidence in the flesh : and for the better establishing: or
settling them and us in this his useful advice, he shews the
vanity and simplicity of such confidence, by comparing himself
with the exactest of them, verse 4, where he clears what he
egins the Second Volume in the former eilitions.
OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS LOSS AND DUNG.
231
means by the flesh, in which we ought not to have confidence,
reducing it unto two heads ; 1. External church privileges ;
2. An answerable conformity of life according to the law; in
both which, he dares challenge any of them to come near him,
especially in the latter branch of the flesh ; where note, that he
as well calls his zeal and blamelessness touching the righteous-
ness which is in the law, the flesh, as the other, wherein if there
were any cause of confiding, he had more than any of them,
verse 4. I say, as well that as his being a circumcised Jew, and
a Pharisee. Now in verse 7, he intimates indeed that he was
once of their mind ; to account those things (which he now finds
to be but flesh) gain ; but for his part, whatever they were in his
eye before, he sees and so counts them but loss for Christ. In
the words of my text he handles this his last assertion more fully,
wherein he proposes his own happy discovery and invaluable
success, as a pattern and encouragement for us to follow him. —
First, He demolishes and throws away all the glittering, but yet
rotten materials, wherewith he had, and others still do erect a
fortress of security, and palace of delight ; then he declares the
end of rejecting those materials, so much hissed at, not only by
the world, but even by many devout ones also ; namely, that he
mio-ht lay a sure foundation, and build an impregnable tower
that cannot be shaken ; like a wise master-builder, who finding
that he hath built upon the sand, with hay and stubble, pulls
down all, and casts it on the dunghill, and then finds a rock, and
rears a structure with tried stones from it, which will not moulder
with weather-beating; so that he doth not only exhibit Christ
with his righteousness, as the securest city of refuge, but also
shews plainly, that all must down to the ground and be lost, and
then beo-in anew with him only ; one old rotten post left, will
cause all the new building to sink.
Concerning the first business of pulling down f.ie old house,
observe, 1. What materials are they which lie ruinates; the
apostle expresseth this in these general terms, [f/// f/nngs] now
these things have a reference to those materials mentioned
before, namely, his church privileges and legal blamelessness ;
but yet he speaks more largely here, than only of those ; his
meaning is, that he did not only cast away as dung, what he was
or could do before he received Christ, but even all things what-
ever also he hath been able to do since he received him, though
232 OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS LOSS AND DUNG.
assisted thereunto by his Spirit, as Beza well observes" on this
place. 2, Note, what he doth with these materials ; he doth
not glaze them, and let them stand, nor pull them down and
polish them, and then patch up a new building with, old mate-
rials ; vo, nor yet cull out the choicest of those his glittering
works, to mingle them with Christ's, but throws all, even every
jot away ; he sees no worth in any, no not the best ; nay, more,
he sees the very best so far from service, or profit, that indeed
he confesses all is loss to him ; he means more than that he
must lose all his cost and labour thereabout ; but must also be a
great loser himself thereby : nay, he goes further, and tells us,
that all his works are no better materials for his spiritual build-
ino-, than as if a man should build a house, and use no other
materials, than the filth of a jakes or dung, though his works be
blameless ; for thus he saith, I count them but dung, and so he
casts them all on a dunghill : that he means his own blameless
works, which he thus looks on as loss and dung, is most plain by
that other expression of his, " Not having mine own righteous-
ness which is of the law."
As concerning the apostle's end of thus stripping himself
naked, and casting away his own, though specious works, in
general, it is to be clothed with white robes, even the garments
of salvation ; but more especially he declares his ends to be,
1. Tlie excellency of the knowledge, or the knowledge of the
excellency of Christ ; (for the knowledge itself hath no excel-
lency but in reference to him known) as if he should say, I could
never come to know how excellent Christ Jesus the Lord is, till
all I was and am, plainly appear to be loss and dung; my own
righteousness was a thick film over my eyes, that I could not see
Christ's worth. 2. Another end was something more, namely, a
gaining or winning of Christ, {cva KepSrjcrco) importing, that as
long as his obedience was in request with him, and seemed any
thing better than dung in his eye, he could never get Christ.
3. An end yet a little higher ; the latter aimed at the present,
this last at the future ; namely, that he might be found (that is,
at the great day of appearance) in him ; as if he should say,
My works being but dung, will give an ill savour at the last, and
therefore 1 must cast them away, that I may be found in Christ,
who is all and only sweetness ; if my obedience come near, it
WJil change the scent, and mar all: that this is the meaning is
OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS LOSS AND DUNG. 233
plain, by his own expounding of himself in the following words,
(" Not having mine own righteousness,") from all which,
observe we,
I. That all things, yea even the most blameless walking
according to God's law, not only before, but after conversion, or
receiving Christ, are truly counted loss and dung in a Paul's
eye, and such a one will be willing to suffer the loss thereof, as
of dung.
II. Then, and not till then, a person attains to the knowledo-e
of the excellency of Christ Jesus the Lord, gains him, is " found
in him, (or so minded as is expressed in the former doctrine)
not having his own righteousness, but the righteousness of God,
which is by faith in Christ."
I begin with the first; and, because, at first sight, peradventure,
to some, it may possibly seem harsh, pray mark how clearly and
fully every tittle of it is founded on the text. First, Observe how
the apostle saith expressly, that he therefore " counts all loss and
dung," that he may attain those excellencies mentioned; what
need that, if he might attain these without such an estimation ?
Again, observe the generality of this expression, " All things,"
which is more than the particulars mentioned ; and further, note
the time when he spake this, it was certainly after his conversion
to Christ, Phil. i. 13, for he had been in iDonds for him before
this ; now, that which he here speaks of their loss and filthiness,
is in the present tense ; he delivers his mind of them as viewed at
that instant ; and, in special, mentions his own righteousness as
part of that dung he would not be found in ; and, whereas it might
be objected, that he had not now received Christ as yet, because
this he did to gain him ; it is most plain he was in him already,
by what he said before ; besides, nothing is clearer than that lie
was converted immediately before he received and entered into
his apostleship, as is plain, in Acts ix. 2, 3, his meaning here must
needs be of fuller degrees of participation of Christ. The prophet
Isaiah, such another evangelic man as Paul, comes nothing short
of him in speaking of his own righteousness, and other servants
of God, saying, " But we are all as an unclean thing, (he means
a Jakes) all our righteousness are as filthy rags, or as a menstruous
cloth," Isa. Ixiv. 6, he makes himself one of this number, — Our
blessed Saviour, who well knew what was in man, bids us, when we
234 OUR RIGHTEOUSNKSS LOSS AND DUNG.
nave done all things which are commanded us, say, " We are
unprofitable servants," Luke xvii. 10.
For the better cleaving of this truth, let us consider, 1. What
it IS to count all things as loss and dung. 2. What it is to suffer
the loss of all things, 3. How it may appear that all things,
even tne most blameless works, are but loss and dung in a renewed
estate, and in what respect they are so,
1. This word cou7it hath two different significations ; sometimes
an opinion falsely grounded, as in that saying of the apostle,
" We are counted the offscouring of the Avorld ;"" sometimes (as
here) a certain determination infallibly grounded ; thus doth a
Paul's eye determine, (I mean a person like-minded with him,
and right-sighted as he.) Now this determination, or estimation
of things as loss and dung, is not of some only, but of all. Many
will not stick to count those things, that are directly against any
precept, to be loss and dung ; but this sentence must pass further,
even to all civility, morality, yea, and the most exact obedience
to any or all the precepts of the law ; (if it be possible) when
such obedience hath had the most assistance of the Spirit, the
best aim at the right end, done after the most enlarged manner,
with all other good circumstances, to the utmost height a creature
can mount unto ; all these things, or whatever else, the purest
sanctified searcher upon earth (being mere man) can bolt forth
from his heart, must be counted but as " loss and dung ;" other-
wise a Paul cannot say, I count all thmgs so, if any one thing
may be excepted.
But let me not be mistaken here, I do not say, that the motions
themselves of the Spirit, or the enlargement of the heart as his,
or the ends aimed at as prescribed, must be thus counted ; but
ihe Avhole work as, and when, done by a sanctified person, though
so assisted by the Spirit ; when such a man looks on the works so
done by hira, he must see nothing but mere " loss and duno- »*
T 1 • ^
1 hope your patience will stay your thoughts and reasonings, till
I can come to shew for what respects it must be so.
In the mean time let us consider, what it is to count them " loss
and dung.'* It is worth your observation, that the apostle does
not say loss only ; for, then, a man were in no worse case but to
have his labour for his pains, (as the proverb is) that is, he should
lose only his pains, or the work he is about ; but he saith loss
OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS LOSS AND DUNG. 235
that IS, by the best work that ever a mere man did, he himself is
a great loser; I mean, that he forfeits life and bliss thereby on
earth, and in heaven also ; there is sin enough in it, (if God had
nothing else but what he can pick out of the best work) to lay to
his charge, to forfeit all and more, even to cast hira into utter
darkness ; I speak in regard of the desert of such a work in itself
considered; under the notion of such loss must we look on, and
account all things ; and not only as loss, but as dung also, which
comprehends the casuality of this loss in such works. Dung, you
know, is one of the filthiest and loathsomest things in the world,
causing offence to those especially in whose face it is cast. All
things of ours, even the best, are of this nature, nay infinitely
worse, (for no created natural filth can suflficiently symbolize with
spiritual ;) I say, therefore, that all our righteousness, at best, is
such a menstruous cloth in God's eye, and so certainly in itself;
there is dung cast in his face, even in neio moons ^ and sabbaths,
and solemn a4semblies* ; so that his soul hates them, they are a
burthen to him, he cannot away with them ; they send up an ill
savour in his nostrils, smelling rankly of the flesh when they
proceed from the purest heart; there being some flesh lusting
against the Spirit still ; as, namely, some spiritual, or rather
carnal pride, and self- streaking, when a man hath done very well
as he thinks ; which dung is the promeriting cause of the loss
before-mentioned, accompanying all things of ours, even the best,
which is the infallible ground-work for counting them such.
2. Let us now consider, what it is to suffer the loss of all
things. For clearing hereof note, that there is a double suflTerino-
loss of a thing. 1. Passive. 2, Active. Or, 1. Violent. 2. Vo-
luntary. A passive suffering of the loss of any thing, is, when
one is violently bereft of it through an overmatch ; as when a
man suffers the loss of his goods by thieves breaking in upon
hira, and overcoming him : thus shall all unbelievers suffer the
loss of all things, even their good deeds as they call them,
prayers, alms, &c. They shall indeed come to Christ, and say,
" Lord have we not done this, and this, in thy name," Matt. vii.
22, 23. But their lamb-skins in which they walked shall be
pulled over their ears, and Christ shall say, " Depart from me,
ye workers of iniquity, I know you not." But this is not the
apostle's suffering loss, it is an active or voluntary suffering;
* Isa. i, 13.
236 OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS LOSS AND DUNG.
bear with the terras, though they seem contradictory : our Sa-
viour speaks to this effect to John the Baptist, over modestly re-
fusing to baptize him ; " Suffer it to be so now ;" that is, give
way to it ; so here the apostle's suffering loss was a contented
giving way to the loss of all he was and did. Loss, here, hath
not so much reference to his person, as the things he did ; though
in some respect it may be understood of his person ; thus, that he
was contented to take shame, and even confusion of face, to him-
self, for his best actions, and account himself worthy to be de-
stroyed, and be his own judge, to pass not only the sentence of
confiscation of all that he hath, but also of condemnation on his
person, crying out, roKat ircoqos eyco av^qcoTros, " Oh wretched
man that I am!" And, besides this voluntary suffering such
personal loss, he is willing to be stripped naked of all things, and
all pleas they can afford him ; so as not to have a word to speak
for himself, except it be in impleading all that ever he had done,
as making far more against, than for him. Such, I take it, is
sufferinsr the loss of all things.
3. I come to the next thing proposed. How it may appear that
all things, even the most blameless works, and that after reno-
vation, are but loss and dung, and in what respect they are so.
Unto ingenuous spirits, a man would think that the text, and
other scriptures mentioned, might be sufficiently satisfactory ;
but, for better illustration sake, you must first distinguish (as I
touched before) between that which is the Spirit's in works after
renovation, and the whole work after we have done it ; and know
that though the motions and assistance of the Spirit be pure,
holy, and without scum in the spring, to wit, itself; yet, by that
time these motions and assistance have passed through the chan-
nels of our hearts, and been mixed with our manifold corruptions
in doing, even the whole work thereby becomes polluted and
filthy * ; our filthiness alters the property of the pure motions of
* This is a passage excnptecl to by D. W. in his Gospel-Truth Stated, &c. p. 196 ;
it is sadly perverted by liitn, on which he charges the Doctor with saying, " That the
greatest holiness in believers, though wrought in them by the Holy Ghost, is mere
dung, rottenness, and filthiness, as in them :" whereas the Doctor is not speaking of
internal sanctificatinn of the Spirit on the heart, which is a pure work, and is all glo-
riovs within ; nor can it be mixed with, or be defiled by, our corruptions ; but of
works done after regeneration, even at the motion, and by the assistance, of the
Spirit of God; which motions passing through the channel of our corrupt- hearts,
cease to be the Spirit's, and become ours, and mingled with our corruptions are pol-
luted ; and so the works performed are as dung, and so to be accounted, and not to
be gloried or trusted in ; and yet, notwithstanding all this, the Doctor observes, they
ought to be carefully maintained, being profitable to men : yea, that through faith in
OUR KIGHTEOUSNESS LOSS AND DUNG. 237
Christ's spirit : let not this sound harsh, for it is no paradox tliat
a man should defile holy things ; you may know that received
principle, that one circumstance amiss, mars a good action, and
makes it all naught. St. James tells us, " that whosoever fulfils
(or whosoever shall keep) the whole law of God, and yet offend
in one point, is guilty of all ;" his meaning, 1 take it, is this,
that the least drop of our poison, in the least failing, hath such
a diffusive venom, that it poisons all the good, and overspreads
its filth through the whole, even as one drop of poison injected,
into the rarest cordial, makes the whole, and every drop of it,
mortal ; so, that except the best of all our works can pass througli
us without the least mixture of any defect or pollution of ours, it
cannot but be dung. Pour the cleanest water that is into a dung-
hill, and let it but run through it, and when passed through, what
is it but dung itself 1 The Lord requiring sacrifices of the Jews,
enjoins a male without blemish ; though a male, yet with one
blemish, the whole sacrifice was abominable, and not that one
blemish only. And, whereas, it may seem harsh, that even
what is the Spirit's must be involved in a man's own, imder the
general notion of dung ; know, that it once being mixed with our
filth, ceaseth to be his, and becomes ours ; it was his when in-
jected, but our flesh, being like the vipei-'s stomach, that turns
the wholesomest food into poison ; or like an ulcerous tumour,
that turns the soundest flesh drawn thereto into rottenness ; and
some of this ulcerous flesh still remains in the best saints on earth,
and mingles itself in the best service, and so turns the whole
into its own nature ; for (omne generans sibi simile general)
that being dung, all that it diffuseth itself into must needs be like
it ; even as the gourds gathered from the wild vine, being mortal
themselves, and put into the pot, set on for the sons of the pro-
phets, made the whole pottage deadly, 2 Kings iv, 30, 40. The
apostle Paul complains, that even when he would do good, evil
was present with him, through the law in his members, rebelling
aofainst the law of his mind, which makes him cry out of himself
bitterly against all he did, " Oil ! wretched man that I am, who
shall deliver me from this body of death ?" Rom. vii. 21, 23,
24. By which he must needs mean all together, because he doth
Christ the dung is extracted, and being purged by him become acceptable unto God,
though not till they are renounced by us, and counted loss and dung ; — nay, he affirm*,
that the motions of the Spirit themselves, the enlargement of the heart, and right aims
in Woiking, are not to be so accounted, but the works thcmselvest
238 OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS LOSS AND DUN<S.
not fly to good works as a refuge against the evil, but to Christ
alone as a refuge against all : " I thank God (saith he) through
Jesus Christ our Lord," verse 25. So then, in respect of the in-
separable communicative poison of the ingredients of our cor-
ruptions, mingling themselves with the best righteousness of the
best men, both they and that are but loss and dung, and filthy
rags, and must be so accounted.
Some then may object, if it be so, we ought to refrain from
doing righteousness, as from dung.
I answer. It follows not ; but that we must refrain from glory-
ing in, or streaking ourselves for our righteous doings, and
rather take shame to ourselves when we have done, and so glory
only in the Lord. Though good works done by us are but dung
in themselves, and in God's eye ; yet must we be careful to
maintain them, since they are profitable to menjTit. iii. 8. David
(Psal. xvi. 2, 3,) confesseth, that his goodness extendeth not to
God; yet for all this he refrains not, because it could extend to
the Saints upon earth, and to the excellent in whom was his
delight ; it is no good plea, that because a man cannot be wholly
clean, therefore, he will be more filthy than needs: you will not
like it, that because your children cannot come from school with-
out some dirt, in the cleanest way, that therefore they shall
wallow like swine over head and ears in it.
Others Avill say, That God often shews his approbation of good
works, which he would not do if they were all dung.
I answer, That whatsoever is not of faith is sin ; but as to the
believer, all things are clean, so through this faith in Christ, the
whole filth of our works is extracted by him ; and he presenting
the same purged by himself alone, they become accepted with
God, Rev. viii. 3, 4, but simply the works themselves as done,
though never so well, are abhorred of God ; and Christ never
takes them to purge them, till we ourselves wholly renounce
them by counting them loss and dung ; and that acceptance pro -
cured by him, imports only a liking God takes to them, ni
efficacy at all they have with him. So you have the doctrine
sufficiently cleared to you, I hope.
Now, If it be as you have heard, then (keeping within the
bounds of Paul to Timothy, " Not to rebuke an elder, but to
entreat him as a father :") let me have leave, who also am an
elder, though unworthy, to beseech the elders with all possible
OUk KIGHTEOUSNESS LOSS AND DUNG. 239
meekness, that they will not magnify man's righteousness, no
not when he is in Christ, above what is meet ; let me obtain the
favour to declare my judgment, when such righteousness of man
is so exalted, and the issue of it : it is exalted above what is
meet, when high things are spoken of it in its own name, and
even in reference to Christ's assistance, and a man's being in
him. 1. When it is cried up with rhetorical commendation,
ascribing virtue and efficacy to it in its own name : give me
leave, I beseech you, whilst I open myself in this particular ;
man's works are thus cried up and magnified, when (for instance)
his prayer, repentance, self-denial, and exact blameless walking,
have the high titles of a kind of omnipotency to eifect wonders,
and are commended as most precious and incomparably excel-
lent, not only in the eye of men, but God; as the things
wherein he takes infinite pleasure, proceeding from a sancti-
fied heart ; and this whilst there is no name mentioned, but
only of these righteous actions in such high praises, as if they
carried such a lustre, beauty, and energetical virtue in their own
nature ; you know the poet's complaint, Hos ego versiciilos feci,
tulH alter honores; sic vos non vobis * ; may not Christ justly
^ke up such a complaint ? All the comeliness of man's righte-
ousness, is no more but what he puts upon it, and yet the riglite-
ousness must go, he not so much as mentioned or hinted in such
praise ; there is verily a fault among us in this respect ; if any
say, that Christ is always to be supposed as principal ; J answer,
ne should be supposed not only as the principal in these praises,
out as solely deserving ; for all that is praise-worthy is his alone ;
out why only supposed ? Why deserves not he to be named as
well as the righteousness ? Certainly it is no good manners (to
say no worse) to forget him, whilst his poorest instruments are
so highly remembered ; besides, how can people suppose that
which they hear not of 1 They must go away with things as they
are delivered to them ; when servants bring presents from their
masters to any, they do not say, I bestow such or such a thing
on you, but, my master sends it you ; if he should take it on
himself, he would go for an arrogant fellow ; it will not salve
the matter, when he is taxed for such arrogancy, to say, My mas-
ter should have been supposed, when he gave no hint of him. —
• I have made these verses, another gets the honors ; so you have done, biit not for
yourselreB.
240 OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS LOSS AND DUNG.
Such kind of extolling man's righteousness is far from counting
it loss and dung, as Paul doth in my text ; methinks, therefore,
it were comely in all extolling of it, explicitly to ascribe all the
praise to tlie glory of the grace of Christ
2. Man's righteousness is exalted above what is meet, when
too hio-h things ai*e spoken of it, being accompanied with
Christ's assistance by his Spirit, and in reference to a man's
being in him, when he doth such righteousness.
May I be bold once more to clear my mind in this also ; it is
true indeed, whilst a believer's heart is overcast with gross
vapours, and is more than ordinarily dull in hearing, is low and
slow in praying, and is somewhat stiff in fasting above measure ;
such righteousness goes usually for loss and dung, and such it is ;
but if a soul gets under full sail, filled with a gale of the Spirit
of Christ, when floods of meltings flow from it ; if he can cry
mightily, be swift to hear, greedy in sucking in divine truths,
and somewhat exact in observing practical righteous means, to
mourn and pray lustily, being helped by the Spirit herein ; then
such prayers, mournings, and other divine exercises will do
wonders; hereby men shall get pardon, settle spiritual, civil, and
natural healings, with national: such courses some think will
turn away God's Avrath, and reconcile him to men ; but, under
favour, the attributing such efficacy to righteousness, though thus
assisted by Christ's Spirit, is more than is meet, though Christ
be explicitly owned as the author of such assistance ; the righte-
ousness so assisted, hath no efficacy at all to obtain any thing of
the Lord, but rather to hasten and multiply wrath, in that it
multiplies sin *. — How can sin have efficacy towards expiation of
sin, and pacifying a just incensed God for it 1 — certainly in no
respect: suppose a traitor brought in to the prince by a fa-
vourite, and taught by him what to say, and how to deport him-
self; but the traitor mars his tale, and as he delivers it, it proves
new treason ; can the favourite's assistance be any ground to
hope that this, his new traitorous carriage, shall pacify the king,
and obtain his pardon ? The case is like ours in hand : when
we come to God, the Spirit perhaps puts a good tale into our
• That is, when it is overvalued, and not renounced, as it should ; but such effi-
cacy ascribed to it, as is not in it, as to turn away the wrath of God, and obtain fa-
vour of him, to the great neglect of the righteousness of Christ ; otherwise the
Doctor owns it instrumentally obtains good things from and through Christ tii«
fountain, and as it has relation to him.
OVR RIGHTEOUSNKMI LOSS AND DUNG. 241
mouth, but through our ill-managing of it, we make but new
treason of it ; the . ighteousness with whitk we come to God,
though we bring with it the clean water of the Spirit of Christ,
to wash away our old dung ; yet there is such filth in the vessel
of our }",ieaent righteous actions, that they do but add dung to
dung, instead of washing it away.
If any shall grant, that originally, or per se, the best righte-
ousness obtains nothing, but rather charges man with a new ac-
count ; but yet instrumentally, it obtains what is desired, being
well qualified as before is mentioned,
I answer. If it be no more, then I heartily desire that we
should always express it, that the people may clearly understand
and remember, and be guided explicitly to the fountain itself,
Christ alone : for certainly whilst he is suppressed, and these
instruments are reached out without relation to him, who only
fills them with all that runs through them, they are but mere
empty pits, and dry channels, though never so curiously cut out.
The issue of such over-exalting sanctified righteousness, is,
I. That by such doating on the efficacy of it, Christ himself is
shamefully neglected, and grows too much out of request : here
may I a little alter the saying, which historians tell us was heard
in heaven, after the church grew into credit ; Religio pe2Jerit di-
viiias, etjilia devoi'avit matrem ; I may as truly say, Christus pe-^
perit jusiitiam^ etjilia devoravit matrem ; Christ begets righteous-
ness in men, and this exalted as much as in such lies that over-
exalt it, is made to devour Christ himself: just as if a kinf^
should promote a favourite, and then he should be so applauded
for his usefulness to the subjects, that the king must be de-
throned, and he crowned in his place. I beseech you, do but
mark how our righteousness, so exalted, creeps up, by degrees,
into Christ's throne, even to the dethroning of him.
In all exigencies and extremities, how naked is the throne of
grace (understanding grace properly) left without suitors ! how
few followers hath Christ himself! how rarely are men sent to
shelter themselves under the shadow of his wings, whilst the sea
of righteousness is thronged ! what earnest outcries for prayers
mournings, fastings, and such like, to help men at a dead lift
what posting to them in extremities, as if they kept a court by
^emselves ! for Christ is seldom heard of, at least not set up on
Agn as to do all ; and yet this righteousness is but merely his
B
242 ' OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS LOSS AND DUNG.
nilnisfering servant: — what the apostle said of himselF, (1 Cor
ui. 5,) I may as truly say of the best righteousness best assisted ;
what is prayer, mourning, fasting, hearing, or the like, but
ministers by whom ye believed and received mercy ? and if but
ministers at best, shall they be greater than the Lord ? — Let me
not be mistaken, I intend no derogation to righteousness, but to
bring it into its own place ; namely, to be used as that, where,
according to Christ's direction, we may meet with him ; from
whose hands alone, we are there to expect whatever we pant
after according to his will ; reserving a submission to be dis-
posed of otherwise, if he see fit.
2. Another issue of such exaltincj man's sanctified righteous-
ness above what is meet, is Christ's leaving persons to that little
or no succour, which this can yield, being made the refuge of
men.
I remember what the Lord said to his people, the Israelites,
bowed down under the hands of the Philistines ; ""' Go, and cry
unto the Gods which ye have chosen, let them deliver you in the
time of your trouble," Judges x. 24. What is it but to make a
God of our righteousness, when we choose it to be our refuge in
time of need, and then exclude, or take no notice of Christ ?
" We ask and receive not, because we ask amiss ;" building on
fervency in prayer to obtain of God, when we should rest only
on Christ, without regard to that: doubtless all this fasting,
mourning, and praying in these times, which I believe no former
age could parallel, prosper not so well as is expected, because
the principal verb is wanting, which can only make good sense
of all we say or do, Christ I mean. Were all seasoned with that
salt, doubtless it v>^ould be more savoury, that is, cordially and
dependingly seasoned with it : " Except you believe, (saith the
prophet) you shall not be established." Wherefore are we called
Christians ? Is not that a true axiom, Dcnominatio est a prin-
cipaliore? The name imports that all in us should mainly
savour of Christ ; and that no receipt should be made or gi\ en,
but Christ must be predominant in it: sure I am, Paul was of
this mind, when he said, " I desire to know nothing among you,
save Jesus Christ, and him crucified." How can that physic
work according to expectation, which by the apothecary's heed-
lessness is destitute of that ingredient which was prescribed to
do all in all ? It is as if hellebore should be lelt out of a purge.
OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS LOS:S AND DUNG. 243
and nothing should be administered but what was prescribed for
the taking of it down : Christ only is the hellelx)re that purgetli ;
prayers are but the liquor to let him down; leave Christ out,
and what will all the rest do ? Nay, the truth is, as in every
strong purge there are some degrees of poison, which are quelled
by a predominant cordial injected for that purpose ; so our
mournings, fastings, and self-denials, have poison in them, suffi-
cient to suffocate a soul that takes them, and Christ alone is the
cordial that quells such poison ; let him then be left out, and judge
I pray you what will be the issue *. O, then, whatever else we
forget in prescribing and applying receipts for our spiritual re-
coveries, let us be sure not to forget to put Christ into them, lest
we kill instead of healing, or poison men Instead of recovering
them.
And for the generality of God's people, my advice to them is
briefly this ; when Christ is prescribed in greatest quantit}-, and
for sole efficacy, let them beware, lest they forget or neglect to
put him into their receipts ; the portion is desperate when he
is not predominant : and if at any time a spiritual physician pre-
scribe any receipt, and forgets Christ therein, let them be sure to
supply him themselves before they take it, though the ingredient
prescribed seem never so rich and sovereign ; and resolve that
these of themselves have too much poison in them to be ventured
on alone, and therefore will produce but loss, being dung.
The premises considered, I beseech you all, suffer a word of
exhortation, take some good course to get a Paul's eye, clearly to
seo loss and dung in your best righteousness, even when your
sails are fullest, and your flight swiftest. What course must Ave
take (will you say) to get such an eye to see all things thus'?
1. Take heed you use not false spectacles whilst you look on
your righteousness ; look not through men's estimation or applause
of it, who use to be something over-rhetorical in their praises.
2. Look not through your own deceitful hearts, which are apt to
judge their own brood very fair. 3. Nor through other men's
righteousness, comparing your own with theirs, whose copies, at
the best, are imperfect, and, therefore, cannot fully represent
righteousness in its complete form ; but weigh it impartially in
the balance of the sanctuary ; try it by the authentic standard;
m brief, lay it to the pattern given in the mount. Paul saith of
• Isaiah 1. 2.
R 2
244 ' OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS LOSS AND DUNG.
himself, " I was alive without the law once, (that is, I thoTight
all was right and well, till I came to the law) — ^but when the
commandment came, sin revived, and I died," Rom. vii. 9 j that
is, this commandment shewed me a world of filth I dreamed riot
of, by which T saw I was a dead man. But, beloved, I confess in
all this I have but set a clear crystal glass before a blind eye ;
the law is ]mt materially the discoverer of loss and dung in our
best righteousness, containing in it the rules of it, and the aber-
rations from it, which is a book sealed up and illegible in respect
of the spiritualness of it; and, therefore, the sole efficient of
discerning loss and dung in our righteousness, is only that
" Lamb who only was found woi'thy to open the book and
unseal it," Rev. v. 5 — 9, Christ alone can make a person see
It , and therefore the Lord saith, (in Isa. Ixii. 6,) " I will give
thee for a covenant to the people, to open their blind eyes."
Christ represents our best righteousness as loss and dung, two
ways :
1. Directly, thus ; not only shewing us plainly the particulars
wherein the filth consists, which he doth by the law ; but also by
giving a right hint of it therein, whereby sin appears clearly to
be out of measure sinful ; this he doth by the touch of his omni-
potency ; this sight of failings in our righteousness, not only as
failings, but also under the notion of dung, indeed is the sole
work of Christ ; not all the means in the world can do it ; he,
indeed, in the ministry of the gospel, doth it here and there ;
therefore the apostle Paul, (speaking of turning men from dark-
ness to light by the preaching of the gospel) adds, that Christ
nad sent him to do it. And, therefore, as Peter and John after
they had healed the lame man, seeing the people begin to gaze
on them, tell them that they were mistaken, " It was Christ's
name, through faith in him, that made him whole," Acts iii. 12 —
16. So should all ministers and people, when they attain to a
clear sight and sense of dung in the best actions, confess that it
is only his name that did it, by a sole absolute power he hath
over the hearts of men.
2. Christ gives such clear sight reflexly ; I mean comparatively,
thus, by shewing that the sole all-fulness is in himself; from
whence he makes a man argue thus. If all purity be in Christ,
then is there none elsewhere in the creature.
SERMON XVI.
THE TWO COVENANTS OF GRAT'S.
HEBREWS viii. 6.
BUT NOW HATH HE OBTAINED A MORE EXCELLENT MINISTRV,
BY HOW MUCH HE IS THE MEDIATOR OF A BETTER COVE-
NANT, WHICH WAS ESTABLISHED UPON BETTER PROMISES.
This epistle to the Hebrews, as it notably illustrates and in-
vincibly maintains the transcendent excellencies of Christ ; so the
apostle, (that he might the more prevalently win the Jews)
carries the whole discourse of Christ in the way they were best
acquainted with ; comparing him, all along, to such things as
were usual among them, and were in greatest request and of highest
esteem with them ; as first he compares him to angels, then to
Moses, and so goes along. Now, because he knew that the
priesthood among the Jews, and the privileges belonging to it
were their oracle and chiefest refuge in cases of greatest moment
and consequence ; he mainly sets himself about this, to shew the
incomparable excellency of Christ's personal priesthood above
the most glorious excellencies the priesthood of the Jews had.
It is very true, as it shall appear by-and-by, that the things of
greatest moment were wrapt up in the privileges of their priist-
hood; there they had their remission of sins, their peace of eon-
science, their immunities and security from danger, such as it
was ; so that if the apostle could but make it good, that there 91 as
more excellency to be found in Christ, than in their greatest
privileges, there was great hope that he might be a minister of
reconciliation to them ; and for this cause, you shall find, belov.^d,
that he spends four whole chapters about nothing else but to shew
what transcendent excellencies were to be had from Christ him-
self, above the greatest privileges this most glorious ordinance of
theirs could bring unto them. The 7th, 8th, 9th, and 10th
chapters of this epistle contain a comparison between Christ and
the privileges his priestly office brings, with those priests, and thi
privileges their offices brought; and, in the comparison, n'.>s'
246 THE TWO COVENANTS OF GRACE.
clearly shew an unsearchable clifFerence between the best of theirs,
and those Christ brings, which were not before in the administra-
tion of their priesthood.
And, however, for the present, a discourse on this subject may
seem impertinent, I doubt not, beloved, but, before I have done,
I shall make it appear, that it is of as great consequence to the
true members of Christ as any that can be delivered, I shall
endeavour, all the way as I go along, to make sure woi'k, that I
may not leave occasion of dispute or contradiction.
In chap. vii. the apostle begins with the order of Christ's priest-
hood, to shew the excellencies of that above the order of their
priesthood ; he was a priest after the order of Melchizedeck, they
after the order of Aaron. In chap. viii. ix. and x. he passeth
from the order, and comes to the business whereabout their several
offices were employed; and, concerning their several employ-
ments, he finds so large a difference, that although it be true, there
was some remission of sins, some peace of conscience in the
administration of their priestly office ; yet, so far the glory of
Christ's office goes beyond theirs, that he sticks not to call their
service and administration, when it was at the best, but the very
shadow of Christ's ; that he doth in the words before my text,
and also in chap. x. 1. Nay, he goes further, he finds so great a
difference between them, that he doth not stick to make the business
of those priests, and of Christ, two distinct covenants, one to
succeed in the room of the other. Though Christ be the subject
matter, in general, of both, and remission of sins the fruit of both
yet, such a vast difference is between them, that he makes them
two several covenants ; and the consequence of this truth is of so
much moment, that, until there be a right understanding of it, there
never will be any absolute settlement of peace of conscience ; but
there will still arise some objections to charge sin upon the soul,
which it shall never be able to answer.
To come to the words of my text, they are the sum of the whole
discourse through all those four chapters ; here the apostle begins
to make his application of the comparison. Before he had
shewed what was the employment of those priests of the old law ;
now he comes to shew wherein Christ excels them ; " But now
he hath obtained a more excellent ministry," &c.
There are three things considerable in the words :
1. The apostle's main conclusion.
THE TWO COVENANTS OF GRACK. 24t
II. His application and illustration of it; and
III. His confirmation of the truth of it,
1. The main conclusion, in these words; " But now he halh
obtained a more excellent ministry ;" wherein there arc these
particulars very considerable: 1. the apostle limits the office of
Christ, what it is, he calls it a ministry. 2. He shews the qua-
lity of this office ; for, though the term of ministry may seem to
be somewhat coarse and low for such a one as Christ, yet, lie
shews, it is not sordid or mean, but an excellent ministry. 3.
He proceeds to the degree of excellency of it, and that by com-
paring it with the ministry of the priests of the old law ; it is " a
more excellent ministry," that is, than theirs. 4. He shews liow
Christ comes by this ministry; " He hath obtained it;" and,
chap. vii. it is more fully expressed ; he was made a priest by an
oath ; he was called thereunto by God. 5. Finally, he sets out
the time of Christ's exercising this ministry of his, Avhen it began
to be on foot : " But now hath he obtained ;" intimating, that it
is such a one as comes in the place of the other, and begins when
that ends.
2. The illustration of this conclusion is in the next words:
" By how much he is the mediator of a better covenant ;" where
you shall find the apostle explaining and opening his conclusion
in these particular branches. 1. He explains what the ministry
is he speaks of — ^he calls it a mediatorship ; he is a minister, that
is, he is a mediator. 2. He further explains this ministry, by
setting forth the subject-matter about which he is employed, he
is the mediator of a covenant. 3. He explains wherein this me-
diatorship of Christ excels that of the old priests ; for he said
before only, it is more excellent ; here he shews wherein it is,
namely, " By howmuchhe is the mediator of a better covenant."
4, He intimates to us, that there is a distinct covenant, whereof
Christ is the mediator, differing from that whereof the priest was
the mediator : he doth not say, he is the mediator of better things
in the same covenant, but of a better covenant : a better and a
worse covenant must be two several covenants ; better and worse
qualities may be in one and the same ; but for the covenant itself
to be called better than another, is a manifest argument of a
double covenant ; but of this more anon.
3. The apostle's confirmation of this conclusion is in the last
words of the text, " Whicli was established upon better pro-
248 THE IWO COVENANTS OF GRACE.
raises :" where you may note, 1. That these covenants he speaks
of, have promises for their foundation : better promises in the
second, argue good in the first ; for the word better is compara-
tive, and comparative unto a positive, which signifies good:
promises tlien are the foundation of both these covenants ; and
this is worth the observation, when we shall come to consider
what they are. 2. He proves that Christ is the mediator of a
better covenant, by two arguments. 1, Though both are founded
upon promises, yet that which Christ is mediator of, is founded
upon better, and therefore must be a better covenant. 2. Though
their covenant was founded upon promises, yet was it not esta-
blished upon them, much less upon better promises ; but, saith
the apostle, here the covenant that Christ mediated was better,
in that it was established upon better promises. They were sweet
promises whereupon their covenant was confirmed, but they were
not so durable, but that the covenant itself was to sink, and did
sink to the ground ; that was not established, it was not firm and
unchangeable ; but the covenant that Christ mediated is better ;
it is an established one, a covenant that never shall be changed
or altered, as theirs was. Here are heads enough, I confess, to
take up a great deal more time than is fit to trouble your patience
with ; I shall not presume so far upon you.
But, that I may, as near as may be, confine myself within
some limits, I shall reduce the main principles of all these heads
unto two things, and confine my discourse to them.
I. What those covenants are, namely, that whereof Christ him-
self is said to be mediator, and that other which is opposed unto it.
II. Wherein the covenant whereof Christ himself is mediator,
is better than that which those priests did administer.
It may be you may see some things m the resolution of these,
that may be some satisfaction to your spirits.
I. What these covenants are, and how distinct. I will not
meddle with particular covenants, which God made with somo
special persons that came not within this compass : there are cer
tain general covenants that God made with men ; usually they
are reduced to two heads ; the first is commonly called the cove-
nant of works, first made in innocency ; the terms thereof are of
a double nature, " Do this and live;" and " cursed is every one
that continueth not in all things that are written in the book of
the law to do them;" life upon doing, a curse upon not doing;
THK TWO COVENANTS OF GRACE. 249
m sum,, the covenant of works stands upon these terms, that in
perfect obedience there should be life ; at the first failing tnerein,
no remedy, no admittance of remission of sins upon any terms in
the world; Christ cannot come in, nor be heard upon the terms
of the covenant of works. There is a second general covenant,
and that is usually called, a new covenant, or a covenant of grace ;
and this, in opposition to the other, stands only in matter of grace
without Avorks through Christ : This, as far as I can find, is
generally received to be the right distribution of the covenants
of God ; the covenant of grace being most commonly taken for
one entire covenant from first to last; now to draw it to our pur-
pose ; if this distribution be good, the issue at length must be
this ; seeing there are two covenants spoken of here by the apos-
tle, which we shall make good by-and-by, they must needs be
referred to that distribution of those two heads, and so the sura
must be this ; the covenant of grace being better than the cove-
nant of works, Christ must be the mediator of it ; and then there
remains no other, whereof those priests were mediators, out that
of works.
For my own part, beloved, I shall not take upon me to censure
any man's judgment ; only I shall desire to propose something
to the consideration of the wise, who, upon deliberate advice,
may see something worth their meditation : to me it seems most
plain, that the opposition the apostle here makes, is not oetween
the covenant of works and that of grace ; and that ne, in all this
discourse, hath not the least glance upon the covenant of works
at all, nor doth he meddle with it : You know, beloved, that the
articles of that covenant, are drawn up in the decalogue of the
moral law ; and in all this discourse, from chap. vii. 1, to the end
of chap. X. the apostle doth not so much as take notice oi the
moral law, nor hath he to do one jot with any clause of it : all the
opposition here is not between Christ and Moses, but oetween
priest and priest, office and office ; Christ is a priest after the
order of Melchizedeck, they priests after the order of Aaron ;
Christ is the minister of a perfect covenant, they of an imperfect
one : now, if it were between the covenant of works and tne cove-
nant of grace, then he should have gone on with the covenant of
works, and the articles of that, and set them in oppositjon unto
Christ, which he doth not.
But it may be, some will say, if there be a distinct difterence
250 THE TWO COVENANTS OF GRACE.
between covenants, surely then they can be no other but those
two of grace and works, and therefore the opposition must needs
be between them.
Beloved, give me leave to answer freely, the whole adminis-
tration of that covenant, which the priests had to manage, was
wholly and only matter of grace ; and though it were a covenant
of grace, yet it is opposed to that which Christ in his own person
mediated ; therefore the opposition which stands here, is not be-
tween the covenant of works, and of grace ; but it is between the
covenant of grace weak, imperfect, unprofitable, disannulled ;
and another covenant of grace that is perfect, established, and
makes the comers thereunto perfect.
So that indeed, though Christ be the subject-matter of the
covenant of grace, whether old or new, and though there be re-
mission of sins in both ; (for I call the priests' covenant now the
old, and that I will make good presently,) yet, I say, there is
such a difference between these two, that they are two distinct
covenants one from the other.
That it may appear to you, that they are both covenants of
grace, and yet two distinct ones also, consider briefly these
particulars.
1. It is granted to all men, that in the covenant of works, there
is no remission of sin, no notice of Christ ; but the whole em-
ployment of the priests of the old law, was altogether about
remission of sins, and the exhibiting Christ in their fashion unto
the people. In Numb. xv. 28, (I will give you but one instance,)
you shall plainly see that the administration of the priestly office
had remission of sins as the main end of it. " If a soul sin through
ignorance, he shall bring a she-goat unto the priest, and he shall
make an atonement for the soul that sinneth ignorantly ; and it
shall be forgiven him :" see, the main end is administering for-
giveness of sins.
And that Christ was the main subject of their ministry is plain,
because the apostle saith in the verse before my text, that all that
administration was but a shadow of him, and a figure for the
present to represent him, as he expresses it in chap, ix ; and the
truth is, the usual gospel that all the Jews had, was in their
sacrifices and priestly observations; it is true, the prophets
prophesied of a glorious gospel, but mostly you shall find that the
most excellent gospel tliey preached, was always preached with
THE TWO COVENANTS OF GRACE. 251
reference to the future. The propliet Jercniiali hath an excellent
passage in chap. 1. 20, " The iniquity of Israel shall be sought
for, and there shall be none :" but mark it, it is in those clays,
and at that time, it shall be sought for, and not found ; he doth
not speak this of the present, but of future times ; therefore St.
Peter observes, that when they prophesied concerning the fulness
of o-race, they did not prophesy unto themselves but unto us,
1 Pet. i. 12, the main gospel they had was to be fetched out of
those trivial observations, ceremonies, sacrifices, and gifts which
they were to attend upon, whence they were to fetch their pardon
through Christ.
So that it is plain, the administration of their covenant was an
administration of grace, absolutely distinct from that of the
covenant of works. That Christ's covenant Avas a covenant of
grace, I will not stand to prove ; I know no man questions it that
professes himself a Christian ; but now though these two as it
appears plainly, are covenants of grace ; so it shall appear as
fully to you that they are two distinct covenants of grace ; they
are not one and the same covenant diversely administered, but
they are two distinct covenants *
To make it good, because I know some may think much of
this that I deliver, I shall desire you to receive nothing, but as
the plain scripture will make it evident unto you: for this
purpose first consult chap. viii. 7. There are, if I mistake not,
three arguments in those few words, to prove that they are two
divers covenants. " If the first had been faultless, then should
no place have been found for the second;" where observe, that
having spoken before in the text of a better covenant, whereof
Christ is the minister and mediator ; he saith in opposition to
this, " If the first had been faultless."
* Notwithstanding all the worthy Doctor has said, these don't appear to be two
covenants essentially distinct; since he himself owns that Chnst is the subject-matter
of both, and remission of sins is in them both; and though called ^r*« and second
and the latter coming in the place of the former, this may be said of one lorm of ad-
ministration of the covenant succeeding another. Mr. Lancaster, Vindication of the
Gospel p 199 thinks the controversy may be compromised by distinguishing the old
covenant into ihe promise veiled, the same in substance with that m the new testa-
ment, and the veil itself done away; which is giving up the pomt, since that is no
other than the ceremonial law, the outward form of administering the covenant of
grace under the former dispensation, and was a shadow of good things to come by
Christ, clearly revealed under the present administration : however, this is a matter
of no very great importance; and the Doctor has excellently shewn the difference be-
tween these two, be they called what they will; and indeed, properly speaking, the
covenant of grace, as made, was before them both, even from eternity.
252 THE TWO COVENANTS OF GRACE.
Again, here you see the apostle expressly calls these the tirst
and the second; " If the first had been faultless, there should
have been no place for the second." Now that it should be
affirmed of one and the same covenant, that this is the first, and
that this is the second, and yet these two should be both one, is
strange : " There are three that bear record in heaven, the
father, the word, and the spirit :" it is true, the divine essence is
one ; but consider as there are three persons, they are not one ;
so if you will consider any thing as they are two, they are not
one : now these covenants are called first and second, therefore
they cannot be both one.
Again, the apostle speaks of a second coming in the place of
the first ; we cannot say of one and the self-same covenant, that
it comes in place of itself; when one thing comes in the place of
another, these two must needs be distinct : can you say of the
one and the same thing, that it is disannulled, and that it is not ?
that it vanishes, and yet that it is come in the place of itself
when it vanishes ? In chap. vii. 18, you shall find plainly that
the apostle, speaking of the covenant under the priesthood, calls
it " the commandment that went before ;" and says, it was disan-
nulled in that it was weak and unprofitable. And in chap. x. 9,
he tells us, that " he takes away (speaking of Christ) the first,
that he may establish the second ;" so that here you may plainly
see, that these two covenants, one is not only called first, and the
other second ; but the one is so the first, and the other so the
second, that the first must be taken away, that the second may
come in place ; and that the second doth not come till the first
be disannulled : but all the question will be, whether, when the
apostle speaks thus of first and second, of old and new, of better
and worse of disannulling and coming in place ; whether he
means the covenant of grace, under whicn the Jews were, and
under which we are in Christ, or some other.
For clearing this, 1 beseech you, consider what he speaks for
th^ illustrating his own mind. In chap. viii. 8, having made a
distinction of better and faulty, of first and second, see how he
proves what he speaks, that they are distinct : For finding
fault with them, he salth, " The days come when I will make a
new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of
.Judah, mot according to the covenant I made with their fathers,
w'jen I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of
THE TWO COVENANTS OF GRACE. 253
Egypt,'* (and, as Jeremiah adds, for he takes all this out of
Jer. xxxi. 31,) " Although I was a husband to them ;" and in the
close of all, " Your sins and iniquities will I remember no more."
1. You see the apostle, from Jeremiah, brings a direct distinc-
tion of two covenants ; " I will make a new covenant, not ac-
cording to the covenant I made with their fathers." Here are
two covenants; a new one, and one made with their fathers.
Some may think it was the covenant of works at the promulga-
tion of the moral law ; but mark well that expression of Jeremiah,
and you shall see it was the covenant of grace ; " For, (saith he)
not according to the covenant I made with their fathers, although
I was an husband unto them." How can God be considered as
a husband to a people under a covenant of works, which was
broken by man in innocency, and so became disannulled ? The
covenant of works runs thus ; " Cursed is every one that conti-
nueth not in all things that are written in the book of the law ;"
and, " in the day that thou sinnest thou shalt die the death."
Man had sinned before God took him by the hand to lead him
out of the land of Egypt, and sin had separated man from God ;
how then can he be called a husband in the covenant of works ?
The covenant, therefore, was not a covenant of works, but such
a one as the Lord became a husband in, and that must be a cove-
nant of grace ; and yet, saith he, " I will make a new covenant,
not according to the covenant I made with their fathers," &c.
In the close of this chapter, see how the apostle sums up the
matter ; " In that he saith a new," saith he, " the first is waxed
old, and so is ready to vanish away ;" here you see again, how
he makes this distinction between the covenants, old and new ;
one being new, is fresh ; and the other, being old, is ready to
vanish away. Again, consider, in chap. ix. he goes on, as with
main strength, to make good the thing, that there are two dis-
tinct covenants ; " The first covenant verily," saith he, " had
also oramances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary."
What is this first covenant ? The apostle reckons up all the
implements of it; he speaks of their candlestick, table, and gifts,
and so he goes along ; but mark, in ver. 14, what opposition he
makes ; " Wherefore," saith he, " Christ is a mediator of the
new testament." Wherefore, upon what terms is this ? In that
first covenant, there was but blood of bulls and goats, which
could never perfect the comers thereunto, as pertaining to the
254 THE TWO COVENANTS OF GRACE.
conscience ; but wlien Christ comes with his own blood, " Ho
obtained eternal redemption, and so purged the conscience ironi
dead works :" so that by this you may perceive, he makes abso-
lute distinction between the first, which did consist in tliose rites,
and that whereof Christ is the mediator ; in a word, in chap, x.,
he renews the distinction once more ; the law consisted In bui-nt
sacrifices, offerings, &c. which could never make the comers
thereunto perfect, ver. 1, but there was a remembrance of sin
once every year ; therefore, saith the apostle, (speaking of the
Lord) " Sacrifices and offerings thou wouldest not ; then, said
I, (that is Christ) Lo, I come, to do thy will, O God. In that
he saith, Lo, I come, he takes away the first, that he might es-
tablish the second." If all this be not a sufficient evidence to
clear this, that they are distinct covenants ; and so distinct that
though both be covenants of grace, yet the one must be disan-
nulled before the other can be established, I know nothing that
can be proved by scripture.
But to come to the main thing ; there being two distinct cove-
nants, let us see wherein that which Christ administered, is better
than that the priests did ; and this will be of very great concern
to the settling of spirits : the differences are marvellous ; the
apostle expresses them in such language, that, I dare be bold to
say, if any man should utter it, and not have his warrant from
him, he would go nigh to be censured. That first covenant,
though it was a covenant of grace, yet he spares not to say, that
it was not faultless ; that is, it was not without fault : he goes
further, he saith it was unprofitable, yea, weak ; nay, which is
marvellous to consider, he calls the administration of that cove-
nant, beggarly rudiments ; whereas, on the other side, in the
covenant Christ manages, he says, " By one offering he hath
perfected for ever them that are sanctified," chap. x. 14. Tlie
difference then ^=t ;nd-i in these two things.
The covenant which the priests administered, was a very im-
perfect one; that Christ manages, is most absolute, complete,
and perfect. There was a necessity of adding many things unto
their covenant ; but that which Christ managed, is so complete,
that nothing in the world can be added to it : if any will stumble
at the word faulty, you must understand, beloved, that there is a
two-fold faultiness in things ; it may be either sinful, or imperfect;
the covenant was not sinfully faulty, for it ^vas of God^s own
TMB TWO COVENANTS OF GIUCE. 255
making that cannot sin; but jou will say, being so, it cannot be
imperfect.
You must distinguisli perfection, which is two-fold ; a thing
may be said to be perfect, in respect of the end for which it was
ordained, or to compass higher ends than it was ordained to : as
for that first covenant of grace, it was not imperfect for that end
that God appointed ; for it did all that he purposed should be
done by it ; but it was imperfect to do so much as Christ himself
did. This is the main thing I would prosecute, to let you see
wherein the covenant that Christ managed excels the covenant
which the priests managed: there are three things principally
wherein they differ. I will pass by many ordinary differences.
1. Christ's covenant is better, in respect of the remission of
sins.
2. In respect of peace of conscience.
3. In respect of freedom from punishment and wrath as the
desert of sin.
1. I have shewed before, that some remission of sins was under
the Jews' covenant of grace ; I shall now endeavour to let you see
wherein that was imperfect, in comparison of what Christ hath
now brought by his own offering himself once for all. It may be,
this may seem somewhat strange, that I should affirm, that their
remission of sins was imperfect; but, beloved, the apostle speaks
fully to the point, and saith expressly, that there was " remem-
brance of sins again every year," chap. x. But, to handle things
distinctly and particularly.
1. Their remission of sins was imperfect, in comparison of
what Christ by his own person hath wrought ; they had not in
their covenant a plenary remission of all sorts of sins ; they
could not tell whither to go to find pardon for some *. This is
plain in Numb. xv. 28 — 30, where, Moses speaking of one sin-
ning by ignorance, a she-goat being brought, there might be an
atonement made for him, and the sin might be forgiven : but
mark what follows, " The soul that sins pre>umptuously shall
die ;" here is a sacrifice for sins of ignorance, but " the soul
that sins presumptuously shall die," no sacrifice for that. So
again, Gen. xvii. 14, you shall find, that there was no sacrifice
• Not but the saints under the old testament had full forgiveness by looking to
the llfHJ^l and sacrifice of Christ, which cleansed from all sin then, as now, but not by
legal sacrifices, or in the Mosaic administration.
256 THE TWO COVENANTS OF GRACE.
io be had for uncircumcision ; " The man-child that shall not bo
circumcised, shall be cut off;" no other remedy, no appeal to
other sacrifices ; here was no sparing him by any means ; no sa-
crifice to expiate his transgression. In Exod. xxxi, 14, also you
shall see that there was no pardon to be met with for the pro-
fanation of the Sabbath, but that soul must be cut off; and so,
whosoever eat of the sacrifice, and had uncleanness upon him,
must be cut off, Lev. vii. 20. I might instance in many other
particulars ; but certainly there was a variety of sins for which no
sacrifice could be admitted, and consequently no pardon obtained,
nor sued out for them *: for pardon of sin was sued out upon those
sacrifices God required :, but now mark the difference ; herein is the
covenant, whereof Christ was the mediator, infinitely better than
that other, in the large extent of pardon which it brought along
with it. For this purpose, look into 1 John i. 7, where he saith
" The blood of Jesus Christ, his Son, cleanseth us from all sin.*
Observe it, I pray you, " from all sin;" see the extent of it;
you cannot name the sin which a person would be willing to cast
off, and have a pardon for, but the blood of Christ cleanseth
from it. If the Jews would have given all their estates, that
they might have been admitted to bring sacrifice for such and
such a sin, it could not be ; " But the blood of Christ cleanseth
us from all sin."
But you will say, in chap. x. 26, the apostle seems to intimate,
as if there were some sins for which we can have no remission ;.
his words are these; " If we sin wilfully, after we have received
the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more sacrifice for
sin." Here, some may say, it seems that if a person shall happen
to sin wilfully, after he hath received the knowledge of the truth,
there is no sacrifice for sin.
I beseech you, give me leave to open to you the meaning of
the apostle, and his plain drift. I find thousands of persons are
mightily mistaken in it, and so the text comes to be a very fear-
ful burthen upon their spirits ; but that you may understand the
scope of it aright, know, that there he is closing all the former
discourse, which stands mainly in these two things ; that there is
now one perfect sacrifice once offered by Christ himself, that
• Pardon of sin might be sued out by faith then, upon the blood and sacrifice of
Christ ; but not upon legal sacrifices, which for some sins were not admitted, and yet
«ere pardoned through Christ, as David and others.
THE TWO COVENANTS OF GRACE. 257
perfectly doth all things to be done, and, therefore, must be offered
no more ; and that all the sacrifices that were to be offered, are
now vanished; and, in the interim, he comes to this conclusion:
now that you have received the knowledge of this truth, that all
sacrifices must now cease, if you sin wilfully, that is, if you will
reject this truth I have delivered unto you; if you think that this
one sacrifice is not enough to serve your turn, but you will look
to others, there remains no more sacrifice for your sin : as if he
should say. You will but deceive yourselves to look in anv other
way for pardon ; you may think such and such services, confes-
sions, prayers, fastings, will do something towards the remission
of sins ; but deceive not yourselves in this, there remains no more
sacrifice for sin. Christ was but once offered; if you will not
conclude to adhere to that one sacrifice once offered ; nor have
that to bring perfect remission of sins, you will certainly miscarry ;
there will be no other remedy, but indignation and wrath will fall
upon you ; every thing else will fail ; that is the first. I beseech
you have patience, and let me but open myself, lest I leave both
myself and the truth to scandal.
2. The covenant ho brings, is more perfect, in that though
there was remission of sins in it, and so it differs from the cove-
nant of works ; yet mark it, and you shall find, that their covenant,
though it was a covenant of grace, did not administer grace, but
upon antecedent conditions to be performed, before there could
be any participation of the grace ©f it * ; I say, there must be many
things done first, before a pardon could be heard of; whereas,
under the covenant of grace, which Christ brings, there is no
antecedent condition at all ; but the whole grace is communicated
before ever the person doth any thing towards it. In that covenant
they must be at the cost of sacrifices, must bring them to the
tabernacle, must confess their sins to the priest; and, (for ouo^ht
I know) in cases of extremity, must fast too, before they could
obtain pardon of sin, and removal of judgment; but the covenant
that Christ brings into the world himself, is such, that before ever
the person could be able to do any one thing in the world that is
good, the whole grace of it is made his, and we need not be at the
cost of a sacrifice, Christ is at that himself; we need not bring a
* That is, in the Mosaic way, or according to the administration of the covenant cf
grace in that way ; otherwise saints then, as now, had tlie pardon of their sins freely,
looking to the grace of God and blood of Christ, and were justified as freely, and saveid
by the free grace of God, even afc we arc.
258 ' THE TWO COVENANTS OP GRACE.
Christ, he brings himself; we need not offer him, he offers him-
self; nay, our confession of sin is not antecedent to the forgive-
ness of it ; remission doth not depend upon that, but only upon
the grace of God; " I am found of them that sought me not;
before they call, I will answer."
Do but mark, beloved, how the terms of the covenant of grace
by Christ run ; " Even while we were enemies, we were recon-
ciled to God by the blood of Christ ;" there could be no good
thinsr done before our reconciliation, when we were considered
simply and only as enemies: and so in Ezek. xvi. 6, 8, " When
I saw thee polluted in thy blood, thy time was the time of love ;
I sware unto thee, and entered into covenant with thee, and thou
becamest mine :" when 1 " When thou wast in thy blood ;"
there is no antecedent doing, before the participation of the cove-
nant ; nay, the covenant is sworn, even when in blood. The
apostle, in Rom. iv. 5, tells us, " That to him that worketh not,
butbelieveth onhimthat justifieththe ungodly, his faith is counted
for righteousness." Christ considers men under no other notion
but ungodly, when he confers the grace of his covenant upon
them: you shall never hear, In all the old covenant, pardon
bestowed, before works of bringing, and offering sacrifice ; but
under the covenant of grace, there is no respect of good works to
the participation of it ; even true faith itself is no condition of
this covenant*, neither is it required as an antecedent to it, or to
forgiveness. True faith, indeed, is the evidence of things not
seen ; we know not that sin is pardoned, till we believe, because
it is hid in the breast of God, or rather veiled in the gospel, under
general terms, until Christ gives faith unto his people ; whereby,
they see their sins, as well as other believers, are forgiven ; but
simply to the conveyance of the pardon itself, there is nothing in
the world but grace. You know, beloved, a prince sometimes
looks upon a condemned person in pity, and considering him as
a dying man, out of grace gives him his pardon; and thus did
the Lord by Christ in a new covenant ; he looks upon such and
such, as he sees good, going to execution, and merely out of pity
cast upon them in this deplorable condition, sends Christ with
pardon to them; not calling upon them to change their persons,
to come thus and thus handsome, and then he will say something
• See the note on uage 90.
THE TWO COVENANTS OF ORACK, 259
unto them ; but as they are condemned malefactors, and come to
execution, so he gives his pardon.
3. Though there was pardon under the old covenant, yet know,
that what they had, was but gradatim, and successively, as thev
offered sacrifice ; it was not continued and successive, but it had
interims and stops ; in plain language, the covenant of the Jews
reached out pardon of sin only so far forth as it was committed
before such and such a sacrifice was offered ; if a man had sinned
ignorantly, till he had brought a sacrifice, his sin lay upon him ;
when he did bring it, it took away but that sin; it did not,
neither could it, extend to future sins. Here presently is a suc-
cession of sin, and this must lie, till there come a second sacrifice
to take away that ; and when that is gone, a third sin lies again
upon the heart; and that is not gone, till there comes a new sacri-
fice for it; and the reason the apostle saith, " There is a remem-
brance again of sin ;" because, " The comers thereto could not
be perfect ;" that is, they indeed had pardon by drops, now for
one sin, then for another; it may be a week, a month's distance
between, before they could have it; and still they had it, as their
sacrifice was offered: mark the inconvenience of this ; so lone- as
any sin lay upon their spirits, these were under the burthen of
their own transgressions ; this is the reason you have often among
the Jews so many complaints ; " My sins are like a sore burden,
too heavy for me to bear ;" and of the exceeding bitterness of
their spirits. No marvel, beloved, they were to bear their own
sins ; till the sacrifice came there was no discharge ; so that, in
the interim, sin lay upon their consciences : but mark how the
covenant that Christ brought was better than that they had ; " By
one sacrifice once offered, hath he perfected for ever them that
are sanctified:" as much as to say, those that are under this,
are not put to these stops and interims for pardon, and are not
to wait the time of the sacrifice, that so they may receive it from
such a sacrifice ; nor after they have some testimony of it, do they
now lie under the weight of a sin new committed ; but Christ did
so perfectly go through the work of redemption, and taking away
sin, that by one sacrifice he took it away at once for ever*. Here,
beloved, lies one of the chiefest comforts of the whole gospel of
Christ, to see that in him, sins past, present, and to come, are
all at once wrapt up in this one sacrifice of his ; there is an ex-
* Dan. iz. 24.
s2
260 ' THE TWO COVENANTS OF GUACE.
piation before-hand for sin that shall be committed : there is not
an expectation of a future expiation ; a sacrifice is already offered
of value sufficient to take away the sins that afterward are com-
mitted ; the value of this sacrifice went both upward and down-
ward; upward to Adam, for the full pardon of all the sins of the
elect, until Christ came ; and it goes downward since he came,
for the pardon of all the sins of every elect person until the end
of the world ; so that in consideration of sin committed since he
offered himself, there is not some new thing to be done : but
herein stands the perfection of what Christ did, it serves fully and
completely for every purpose that could possibly happen after-
wards.
There is but one pai'ticular more, and that is this, they had
pardon (it is true) but as I may so say, that covenant though it
did sweep, yet it left a great deal of dust behind ; I mean this,
though their daily and occasional sacrifices did take away sin,
yet they did not take it away clean, but left some scattering of
it behind : and this is plain by this, the apostle saith, that there
were in these sacrifices a remembrance of sin again every year ;
that is, there must be an annual sacrifice to sweep away those
relics of the dust of sin, which their daily sacrifice did leave be-
hind; so that they were glad of the coming of the yearly sacri-
fice to take away sin, to make a clean riddance after these sacri-
fices, which could not do it ; when these were offered, though
there was something of remission o( sins, yet certainly there re-
mained something of sin behind, and that till a year came about,
or else that sacrifice once a year was in vain. Why could not
their daily sacrifices do it 1 God would not, that they should
make a clear riddance : and even thatyearly sacrifice did not do it ;
for there must come another yearly sacrifice after that ; and ano--
fher after that ; but now there remains no sacrifice for sin ; no
yearly, no daily, no occasional sacrifices for the taking away of sin.
But, you will say, will you take away all manner of duties and
services under the gospel ? I answer, I take not away the duty^
no, by no means, but the end ; there is no duty we perform, that
is now a sacrifice to take away sin ; nothing but the blood of
Christ only, takes away sin ; as for the services of Christians-^
there are many other purposes for which they are required ; as to
express obedience to the will of God, the serving our generation,
the setting forth the praise of the glory of God's free grace : the?.e
THE TWO COVENANTS OF GRACE. 261
are the ends of our services ; but to expect, by any service we
do, to obtain pardon of sin, is absolutely Jewish, a new sacrifice
upon commission of new sins ; and directly overthrows all the
fulness and sufficiency of that one sacrifice, olFercd by Christ
himself.
2. The difference between these two covenants, stands in
quieting- the conscience ; this follows necessarily upon the former.
As there remains something of sin in that covenant of the Jews,
so there must remain something of terror and trouble upon their
conscience ; a tender and well enlightened conscience, always
sees and feels sin where it is ; if there be any, a tender con-
science feels it, and the gripe and gird of it ; now, in that, there
were sometimes some sins upon their persons no marvel that
there were pain in their consciences for sin, for the apostle saith
expressly, " That those gifts and sacrifices could not take away
sin, as pertaining to the conscience ;" that is, they could not
take it away, that the conscience should be eased ; for still there
would be new sins committed that would disquiet it; hence it is
that they cry, out of the bitterness of their spirits, that sin did lie
upon them. But, beloved, that which Christ brought is better
than this, in that " the blood of Christ purges the conscience
from dead w^orks ;" for which cause he is called " The mediator
of a new testament ;" because his blood obtained a redemption,
purged the conscience, not only from the foul acting of thinirs,
but from those sins, which, Avhile they remain, lie as a w^eight to
torment the spirit. Christ takes away all the sins of his people ;
either you must say, Christ's sacrifice doth not take away all, or
that there is not a sin left, after Christ hath cleansed the con-
science of a believer. In a word, to close up all,
3. The covenant that Christ brought was better, in regard of
wrath and judgment for sin. Justice you know follows sin at the
heels ; where it finds sin, there it executes : justice finding sin
now and then upon the Jews, under that covenant, as it met with
them so gave them a lash for them ; hence you have those many
complaints of God's justice plaguing them always : it was justice,
because there was sin, which was their own, and was charged
upon themselves, till the sacrifice came, and therefore their
judgment was just ; but Christ is the mediator of a better cove-
nant, in that as he hath taken away all sin, so he hath taken
away all the desert of it : though it be true under the gospel, the
.'Gi2 THE TWO COVanaNTS OF GRACE.
Lord chastises his people as a father with his rod ; yet he never
pours out indignation and wrath as their desert ; he never looks
to satisfy himself with any punishment of any member of Christ;
for he beheld the travail of Christ, and was satisfied with that,
Isaiah liii.; and when God is once satisfied, he will never demand
another satisfaction : if Christ hath worn out the rod of wrath to
the stumps, and cast it into the fire, certainly there is no more of
it to be remembered : the apostle is full to this. Gal. iii. 24 ;
speaking of the Jews, he saith that they were under a school-
master, i. e. a scourge, until Christ ; for so are the words in the
orio-inal ; " The law," saith he, " was a schoolmaster until Christ;
but when faith was come, we are no longer under a school-
master." They indeed were fit to be scourged, because they
were in a state subject to sin, guilt, and faults, until Christ
came ; but when faith, that is, Christ' himself, was come, were
no longer under a schoolmaster; therefore, in chap. iv. 1, the
apostle calls them heirs indeed, because at length they did attain
salvation ; but in respect of the weight and burthen of the rod
upon them, he saith, that for the present they differed nothing
from servants ; " The heir, as long as he is a child, differs
nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all ; but is under
tutors and governors, until the appointed time of the father ;"
that is, till Christ came ; but when the fulness of time was
come, God sent forth his Son : I know it may be well inter-
preted of delivering persons in general, Jews and Gentiles, from
under the slavery of sin ; but doubtless the apostle hath an eye
to this ; namely, in respect of the imperfection of taking sin
from them, they did bear indignation and wrath for so much sin
as was upon them ; whereas Christ takes away all wrath and in-
dignation from us, as it is the desert of sin.
Use 1. In all this you may see the glorious liberty " where-
with Christ hath made you free," wherein stand fast, " and be
not entangled again with the yoke oi bondage."
2. By keeping these truths, you shall be able to answer satis-
factorily to the knottiest objections that are or can be made
against the free grace of God in Christ, especially from examples
and actions under tbe old covenant.
263
SERMON XVII.
CHRIST THE GREAT PAYMASTER OF ALL
THE DEBTS OF HIS PEOPLE.
ISAIAH liii. 6. latter part.
AND THE LORD HATH LAID [or, made to meet] ON HIM THE
INIQUITY OF us ALL.
Of all the chosen vessels to bear the name of Christ propheti-
cally, before the children of Israel, there is none so like the
apostles as this our prophet, in respect of the solemnity of his
call'; as appears by comparing both together ; both he and they
were called by visible fire settling on them, Isa. vi. 6, 7; Acts
ii. 3, 4. Doubtless, this singular likeness of their calls, por-
tended (as indeed, in the event it proved) a singular likeness
between their ministries, as if he had been singled out to be the
forerunner of them. Sure, if prediction be enough to denomi-
nate him a prophet, the glorious and precious gospel he preached,
so far beyond the accustomed stream of his times, may well
admit him into the fellowship of the evangelists ; scarce coming
short of any of them, in holding forth the " bright morning-
star," or " sun of righteousness, with healing in his wings :" it
is true, the other prophets now and then met with Christ in their
perambulations ; but, as they saw him at a remote distance, so
they could take but, as it were, a shadow of him, and accordingly
represent him to the people ; but this prophet seems to pre-
possess the beloved disciple's place, even the bosom of Christ :
you may, with one eye, easily see, by comparing him with the
rest, the vast difference. But to leave comparisons, because
some think them odious ; how admirably he preacheth the free
and full grace of God to self-willed sinners, let this chapter
serve for a sample ; which both Christ himself, and his apostles,
took so much notice of, that, of all the prophetic passages,
there is none so frequently quoted by them, as these here men-
254 CHRIST THE GHV AT PAYMASTER
tioned, which the quotations in the margin point out unto you, as
vou may there see. In the prophet's entrance upon his sweet
discourse of the unsearchable treasures of God's love in Christ
to his people, whispered, as it were, a secret in his ear, he seems
to be at a stand ; as if he could hardly tell whether to bring it
to W^rht, or hold his tongue, out of a probable suspicion he had
grounded on former experience, that this kind of doctrine would
be rejected; " Who hath believed our report?" &c. ver. 1.
Now that this may not seem to be a calumny, but on good
ground, in ver. 2, he gives an account of the reasons moving
him to it, besides what occasioned it from former experience.
He knew that the people expected great matters from Christ
when he came ; (as well they might) and, therefore, that his first
appearance should promise much ; and that if it should be in a
mean low way, which would carry no likelihood of compassing
great matters, he should not be believed : now it was revealed
unto him, that Christ must " grow up as a tender plant, and as
a root out of a dry ground.'* If therefore men judged accord-
ing to outward appearance, (as probably they will) it might
easily be judged that his labour would be vain, and that he
should spend his strength for nought. Who expects a fair and
plentiful crop in a barren heath or wilderness 1 What else but
inconsiderable shrubs ? How can men hope better of him, who
must " grow up as a root out of a dry ground ?" So long as
common principles of reason rule, and ingross conclusions,
Christ appearing, as is fore-prophesied, will not be taken for
the man he is, but rather be laughed to scorn : as indeed, when
he did so appear, he was, by not only the vulgar, but also by
the great doctors the Pharisees : afterwards the prophet more
plainly expounds what he means by growing up as a root out of
a dry ground ; " He hath no form nor comeliness ;" that is,
his face will promise little or nothing, so that for lack of
outward beauty, no desirableness will appear in him ; hereupon,
in ver, 3, he changeth his suspicion into a peremptory assertion,
and concludes, " He is despised and rejected of men, a man of
sorrows," &c.
Yet, for all this, our prophet was in travail, and could not be
at ease till he had brought forth the man-child, who was to save
liis people from their sins ; it seems he was in Elihu's temper,
<Iob xxxii. 17, 18, 10, full of matter, and the Spirit within him
OF ALL THE DEBTS OF HIS PEOPLE. 265
constraining him, his belly was as wine which hath no vent; this
ravishing news from heaven must out, or he must burst; speak
he will, that he may be refreshed; though the most should put it
from them, yet, some few, he hoped, would gather crumbs of
comfort from it, nay, be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of
it; the dawning of the light whereof breaks forth in ver. 4,
" Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows ; yet
we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted :" where
ne clears up a secret objection, which, unto common principles,
ariseth out of the condition he was found in, viz. How can he
be the Saviour of others that cannot save himself? If God
plunge him in wrath, sure he can have but little power to prevail
for the deliverance of others. The answer is touched in ver. 4,
and more fully amplified and cleared up in ver. 5. The sorrows
and griefs he sustained were not his own, but ours : it is true, he
was wounded, bruised, and chastised, but not for any faults of his
own, or out of any distaste God took against his person, who was
his beloved Son ; but " he was wounded for our traiisgressions,"
&c. In ver. 6, the prophet describes what those were, for which
he was wounded; " All we like sheep have gone astray ; we have
turned every one to his own way :" now, in my text, he clears up
the justice of God in wounding him " for our transgressions ;" for
it might be objected, that 'here can be no equity to punish an
innocent for a delinquent : but that shews that though the delin-
quency be not his own act, yet the Lord laid it on him. As to
the equity of laying it on him, we shall have a fair opportunity to
clear it up in handling of the text; but, before I come to it, let
us consider what place these words must have, in order of nature,
in this discourse of the prophet: note, that though according to
the order of the word, Christ is first said to bear our sorrows,
then to be wounded, and then we have peace through his chastise-
ments, before our iniquities are laid on him ; yet it is not rare to
see the precious truths of God out of order in this regard :
" Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling," saith
Paul, (I bring this but as one instance). Salvation, as all know,
in order of natui-e, and time also, follows our holy calling, yet in
the words it hath precedency. It is so in this discourse ; the true
method of the gospel supposeth the creature's sinfulness, as it is
first laid down in this verse, which gives the occasion of Christ's
beiuo- a Saviour; and, whereas wounds and stripes are the just
266 CHRIST THB GREAT PAYMASTER
wages of sin, this sinfulness of the creature must some way be on
Christ, or else he might not in justice be wounded; punitive
justice must first find a crime upon a man, before it can smite
him ; as for Christ, he himself never committed any fault, ver. 9,
" He did no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth," as
the Lord himself says; therefore, it follows, that the sins of
others must be charged to his account, and he must be respon-
sible for them, before he can justly be wounded ; hence, in my
text, " The Lord laid on him the iniquity of us all," Now (as
in suretyship) our debt becoming his, the execution goes justly
out against him, and so God can give a just account of wounding
him ; and he being thus wounded, that is, bearing the full indig-
nation and wrath our sins deserve, and so ending all the quarrel
God had against us ; it follows, that these wounds of his become
the " chastisement of our peace ;" God having hereby nothing
to say against us; and seeing all is well between him and us, he
doth not only take away the anguish, but also proceeds to make
a perfect cure ; " By his stripes we are healed." And so I come
to the words themselves, which are as the dawning of the day after
a sad dark night ; holding forth the first glimmerings of comfort
to men, that have lost themselves in the dark. I confess it is
supernatural for a man to see the exceeding horridness of sin, he
being naturally blind ; but yet many attain this, who come short
of reaching the gracious mind of the Lord in acquitting men
from their sins (witness Cain and Judas) which is no where more
fully revealed than in this text.
The truth is, however a careless eye may mind but little extra-
ordinary, or admirable in the words ; yet I dare be bold to say,
they contain well nigh the deepest mysteries of God, manifested
in the flesh ; even those things whereof our Saviour speaks, when
he gave thanks to the father, for " hiding them from the wise
and prudent, and revealing them to babes."
I am persuaded, that not any who profess themselves Chris-
tians, but will with both hands subscribe to the whole text in
general, witnout any contradiction. Oh, that the heart were
stedfast in the several particulars ! There is not a word in it, but
hath its special weight: Satan knows full well that each is a
mortal dart to pierce the very heart of his destructive principles;
and therefore is very busy with wiles to sophisticate the precious
truths held forth herein, and bitter malice to poison this foun-
OF ALL THE DEBTS OF HIS PEOPLE. 267
tain : as by his inslruments he would cozen the world with dross
for gold, so would he, if it were possible, deceive the very elect,
in making them believe their gold is but dross : or, at least,
play the thief, and foist dross into their hands instead of gold.
But, because it is gold tried in the fire, as near as mav be,
we will not lose a dust of it ; and for the better husbanding
hereof; let us sift these particulars in the words : 1, What this
is which the Holy Ghost tells us is laid on Christ, " The ini-
quity of us all :" 2. How this is disposed of, " The Lord hath
laid it on him :" 3. At whose disposal it is, " The Lord:" 4. On
whom he laid it, " Him :" 5. Whose iniquities the Lord laid on
him, " The iniquity of us all :" 6. When he laid it on him,
the time is past, " He hath laid it on him." All which particu-
lars offer to our consideration so many several most comfortable
propositions : as,
L God not only inflicted the desert of sin on Christ, in wound-
ing him for it, but also he laid even iniquity itself on him : I
mean the iniquity of his elect*.
IL God doth not connive at the iniquity of his people, as if,
indeed, he knew well enough it lay on them, but yet he would
overlook it, and be content to suppose it on Christ, whilst it re-
mains indeed on them ; but, in express terms, the Lord hath laid
them on Christ.
in. This laying of iniquity on Christ, is the sole act of the
Lord himself; none, nor any thing else can do it but he; Christ
himself laid not the sins of his people on himself, but the Lord
laid them on him. Christ is but the mediator between God and
them in this business ; contentedly, indeed, stooping to the bur-
then, when the Lord agreed, and would have it so ; much less
doth any act of man, whether it be repentance, or turning from
his evil ways, or amendment of life, or his faith, in the purest
act of it, lay them on him ; or hath the least hand therein,
IV. The iniquity of God's people is no otherwise disposed of
by way of transfer from them, but only on Christ ; none can bear
or carry away iniquity from them, but he alone.
V. That which was laid on Christ, was the iniquity of us all ;
* He (Christ) was willing to become our surety, and to answer for oui sins, and to
nave them imputed to him, so as to be obliged to bear the punishment of them, evei
the wrath ani curse, which, if he had not endured them, would have sunk every
one of us into the pit of hell. — Romaine on the Law and Gospel, page 170, lar.
edition.
268 CHRIST THE GREAT PAYMASTER
even of us, who like sheep have gone astray, and turned every
one to our own way ; that is, the Lord had no other consideration
in his thoughts at all, but our going astray, and turning to our
own way, when he laid our iniquity on Christ : he did not ob-
serve any difference, as if one man were more lovely, or likely
to be more serviceable, or were more pliable to his bent than
others, which might win his love and pity ; but looked only on
their pollution in blood, rebellion, and enmity, taking the rise
of this grace of his only from within himself, even his own com-
passion.
VI. The Lord is not now to do this, nor is it reserved till here-
after ; but he hath laid them on Christ already ; the act is past
long before. And from hence ye may perceive, that there is not
now a new thing to be done by the Lord in the transferring the
sins of believers to Christ ; as if, when they begin to be called
out of darkness into marvellous light, just then God begins to
transfer sin from them, and lay it upon Christ; so that the act
of God's laying sin upon him, is not a continued act. but w'hat
he hath done long before. In which point, it will be consider-
able to find out the time when the Lord laid the iniquity of his
people upoii Christ : and it will be further worth consideration,
seeing the Lord hath laid them, what is become of them ?
where do they remain ? As for the person whose sins are trans-
ferred, he is acquitted and discharged. And likewise Christ is
acquitted of them too : Hath laid, imports them both. If he
hath taken them off from him, that was the committer of them,
and laid them upon Christ, they are gone from him too : if they
were not gone from him too, the words would have been, the
Lord lays, in the present tense ; but they are in the preter-
perfect tense, hath laid. And this will be very clear, if you
consider Heb. ix. 26, " He hath borne the sins of many, and to
them that look for him, he shall appear the second time without
sin." Mark it well, there was a time that Christ did not appear
without sin ; for he bore the sins of many : but there is a second
time when he shall appear, and then he shall be without sin ; so
that believers have no sins upon them*, and Christ hath none
neither.
Every of these particulars will require time to discuss them
fully; yei there is not any one of them out will give sweet
♦• Cant, ir. 7.
OF ALL THE DKBTS OF HIS PEOPLE. 269
consolation to the most drooping spirit under heaven : we
will take them into consideration, and begin with the first of
them.
I. It is iniquity itself, even the sins themselves of those whom
God intends shall reap benefit by Christ, that are laid on him.
Satan hath raised a foul mist to darken the glorious lio-ht of this
admirable truth. At first looking on it, you may think there is no-
thing in it more than in other ordinary truths ; but you shall find
in the close, that all the comfort you can take, concernino- vour
freedom from sin, will hang upon this point, that it is iniquity
itself that is laid upon Christ. But, many are ready to think,
that the guilt (such as they call so) and the punishment of sin
lay upon Christ indeed ; but simply the very fault that men com-
mit, that is, that the transgression itself is become the trans-
gression of Christ, is somewhat harsh*: but when the text saith,
" The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all ;" the mean-
ing is, that Christ himself becomes tne transgressor in the room
and stead of the person that had transgressed ; so that in respect
of the reality of being a transgressor, Christ is really the trans-
gressor f, as the man that did commit it was, before he took it
upon hmi Beloved, mistake me not ; I say, not that Christ ever
was, or ever could be, the actor or committer of transgression,
for he never committed any ; but the Lord laid iniquity upon
him ; and this act of God's laying it upon him, makes him as
really a transgressor, as if he himself had actually committed it :
and this I shall endeavour to clear by manifest scripture, that
simply, without any equivocation, not in any figure, but plainly
* But it should not seem harsh, since transgressions only become Christ's by im-
putation, or by being in the sinner's stead, as immediately explained ; nor that not
the guilt and punishment of sin only are laid on Christ, but the fault itself, since that
is not to be separated from guilt ; and since the Scripture is so express, that sin or
iniquity itself is laid on Christ : hence the learned Witsius observes, " I know not
why some should choose to say, the guilt or punishment of our sins are transferred
to Christ, rather than sins themselves as to the guilt; since this latter is said by
scripture itself, whose most pure, most wise, and very emphatic speeches, to desire
to soften, by I know not what milder ones of ours, shews a mind nice and squeamish
and not setting that just value upon the sacred writings due unto them. — Irenic. Ani-
madv. c. i. s. 15.
f Not the real actor and committer of the transgression, as is afterwards explained,
but as there was a real imputation of it to him, being the surety of his people who
had transgressed ; and is the true and only sense in which the Dr. is to be under-
stood ; for, as the excellent Witsius, just before quoted, says, " Not so, God im-
putes our sins to Christ, as to judge that he committed the sins that we have com-
mitted ; as to be drunk with Noah, to commit incest with Lot, or adultery with David ;
such a thought, so foreign from all reason, could never enter into any man in his
srases, much less a Christian, and one that feart God." Ibid. b. 1?.,
270 ' CHRIST THE GREAT PAVMASTER
sin itself was laid upon Christ; I shall then clear somf> objec-
tions, and shew the necessity of the thing.
Look but into Isa. liii. 11, 12, there you shall find three words
all expressing this one thing, that it is sin itself, and deviations,
that are laid on Christ: " He shall bear their iniquities," ver. 11.
" He was numbered among the transgressors, and he bare the
sins of many :" mark it well, I pray.
Some have been ready to conceive, that the word iniquity in
the text is spoken figuratively ; iniquity, that is, the punishment
of it, was laid on him ; but see how careful the Spirit of God is,
to take away all suspicion of a figure in the text: there are ini-
quity, transgression, and sin, three words, and all spoken to the
same purpose, to confirm it; and it is strange, that all these
three should still be understood of punishment, and not simply
of sin itself, without any figure; but, from hence it is clear, that
the iniquity itself of the persons for whom Christ suffered is re-
moved from a believer, and transferred upon him.
All the difficulty lies in that expression, " He was numbered
among the transgressors." Some will be ready to say, he was so
indeed, but by whom was he numbered ? The Scribes and Pha-
risees called him a blasphemer, and a seducer ; and they said,
he had a devil, and was a glutton and wine-bibber ; and, accord-
ing to the charge, they crucified him with transgressors, and so
he was numbered amongst them ; but God did not account him
so ; and though they did, it doth not therefore follow that he was
so.
I answer, Under favour, beloved, let me tell you, that in this
place Christ being numbered with the transgressors, was spoken
in respect of God's own accounting him among the number of
transgressors ; for he himself made him one at that time. Bear
with the expression ; for the apostle hath one higher than this,
though it may seem harsh to you. Look into 2 Corinth, v. 21.
There you shall see that God made him more than a trans-
gressor ; " He was made sin for us ;" there is a great deal of
difference between being made sin, and being made a sinner,
with any that know how the expression in the abstract goes be-
yond that in the concrete : I know the word may be spoken
hyperbolically ; not that Christ simply could be made sin, or his
essence be turned into sin; but the apostle''s meaning was,
that no transgressor in the world was such a one as Christ
OF ALL THE DEBTS OF HIS PEOPLE. 27 1
was*. But still he was a transgressor, as our transgressions
were laid upon him, not that he was the actor of any ; and how
could the Lord himself by his own act lay our transgressions
upon him, and make him a transgressor; nay, make him sin,
and yet not number him among such as were transgressors f ?
The apostle Peter speaks very fully to this business, in 1 Pet.
ii. 24. He tells us, that " he himself bare our sins in his own
body on the tree ;" he bare our sins, and it was he himself that
did it, and it was on his own body; one would think that all
these words need not ; he might have only said, he bare
them in his body ; but he said more emphatically, " He
himself bare our sins in his own body ;" he speaks it so
punctually, that all the world may see that there is no under-
hand, but plain dealing with God in this business ; that so we
may rest satisfied with it, that being made partakers of Christ,
our iniquities were laid upon him ; and if they ever be looked
after, it should be where they are : and this is the main end why
there are so many expressions in scripture, that our sins are laid
upon Christ, to imply, that when any search is made for them
* This is true of Christ, not as the actor of transgression, as the Doctor imme-
diately observes, but as he was made so by imputation, in which respect he was the
greatest transgressor in the world ; for let any man be ever so great a one, he has
only his own sins on him : but Christ, though he had none of his own, yet being the
surety of his people, and standing in their place, had all their sins upon him, which
he calls his own, and were innumerable, Ps. xl. 12, and so was, by imputation,
what no sinner ever was, or could be ; and this is saying no more than what divines,
ancient and modern, have not scrupled to afiBrm. Chrysostom on 2 Cor. v. 21, says,
God made him a^oprwXov, a sinner, yea more than that, sin itself. CEcumenius, on
Heb. ix. p. 849, says he was tjc (XipoSpa n/iaproAos, an exceeding great sinner;
since he took on him the sins of the whole world, and made them his own. Calvin
a.->d Beza, on 2 Cor. v. 21, say, Christ was peccator et reus, a sinner and yuilty,
and deserving of the curse, through the guilt of sins imputed to him. See Calvin also
on Gal. iii. 13. Piscator, on 2 Cor. v. 21, observes, that Christ being made sin signi-
fies eummum peccatorem, all the sins of all the elect being imputed to him. And
Marlorat, on the same text, has these words, that Christ died for us, as accursed of
God, and is peccator omnium scelestissimus. Phrases as strong as any the Doctor
has iiere or elsewhere ; and which, though not contrary to the divine judgment con-
<.erning Christ as our surety, nor derogatory to the perfect purity and holiness of our
Lord but are designed to express the most perfect imputation of sin to him, and the
security of our salvation by him, as Witsius observes, yet I cannot but be of opinion
with that same great man, that it would bo better to abstain from the use of such
phrases ; since they are not scriptural, need much explanation, and may be offensive
to tender minds. — Animadv. Irenic. c. i. s. 11 ; c. ii. s. 1,4.
•)■ That Christ was numbered by men among transgressors, is not denied; he was
called and traduced by them as a sinner, and placed between two thieves when cruci-
fied, which fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah in part, Mark xiv. 27, 28. But then this
bein? suffered by the Lord, shews that he was accounted so by him, and stood in the
eye of justice as among, and in the place of, transgressors ; and that this is the sense
of the passage appears from what follows ; and or for he bore the sms of many, as
Junius and Tremellius render it ; which could be no reason with men for so number-
ing him, who knew nothing of his bearing the sins of others ; but is a reason with the
T,nrd so to account him, since he himself laid these sins on him.
272 CHRIST THE GREAT PAYMASTER
amonfj believers, they may know what is become of them, and
so satisfy themselves about it: do but observe that excellent
expression, Jerem. 1. 20; where you will find what the great
scope and end is, why the Holy Ghost takes such and so much
care to let us know, that it is iniquity itself that is laid upon
Christ. " In those days, and at that time, shall the iniquities of
Israel be sought for, and there shall be none : and the sins of
Judah, and they shall not be found."
Beloved, here is a strange mystery, the world will not receive
it, except they receive this principle we are now upon, namely,
that the iniquity itself of his people is laid upon the back of
Christ. What, will some say, what no iniquity at all found in
Israel, though it be searched for narrowly ? No, saith the
prophet, " The iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and
there shall be none." Israel commits sins every day, you
will say, and cannot the Lord find them ? But the prophet
saith, he hath laid this iniquity upon Christ, therefore it is
gone, it cannot be there, and here too ; it cannot be on
Israel and on Christ. Suppose a thief had stolen goods, and
brought them home to his house, a friend comes and takes them
away, in favour to save his life ; there is a privy search made for
them in the house of the thief, in every coi-ner; how can they
find these stolen goods there, supposing they are carried away
by his friend ? They are sought for, but they are not found, be-
cause they are carried away. Even so, hence it is, that iniqui-
ties are sought for in Israel, and there is none, because they are
carried away already, and laid upon Christ. I will tell you by
the way, the reason why believers groan so heavily under such
bitterness of spirit, disquietness and horror in their consciences ;
they think they find their transgressions there, and imagine that
there is a sting of this poison still behind wounding them ; but,
beloved, if this be received as a truth, that God hath laid thv
iniquities on Christ, how can they, belonging to him, be found
in thy heart and conscience, if so be he hath already transferred
them unto him 1
Is thy conscience Christ 1 Either that must be Christ, or the
Lord hath not laid thine iniquities upon him ; or else thy heart
must be freed from thy sin. I beseech you consider of it seriously ;
we know not what times are growing upon us, nor what mav
abide us; we may be cut off from the land of the living, and be
OF ALL THE DEBTS OF HIS PEOPLE. 273
in the Jews' condition, subject to bondage all our lives long,
thtougli fear of death and hell ; and what is the occasion and
ground of it 1 it is to have sin lie close upon your spirits : se-
parate sin from the soul, and it hath rest in the worst condition .
being in the Jewish condition you will never have full satisfaction
and settled quiet of spirit, in respect of sin, till you have received
this principle, " That it is iniquity itself that the Lord hath laid
on Christ." Now, when I say with the prophet, it is that itsel
that the Lord hath laid on him, I mean as he doth; it is the faul
of the transgression itself, and to speak more fully, that verj
erring and straying like sheep*, is passed off from thee, and is
laid upon Christ: to speak it more plainly, hast thou been an
idolater, a blasphemer, a despiser of God's word ? a trampler
upon him, a prophaner of his name and ordinances, a despiser of
government, and of thy parents, a murderer, an adulterer, a thief,
a liar, a drunkard ? Reckon up what thou canst against thyself;
if thou hast part in the Lord Christ, all these transgressions of
thine become actually his, and cease to be thine ; and thou
ceasest to be a transgressor, from that time they were laid upon
him, to the last hour of thy lifef: so that now thou art not an
idolater, a persecutor, a thief, a murderer, an adulterer, or a sinful
person ; reckon what sin soeveV you commit, when as you have
part in Christ, you are all that he was, he is all that you were:
2 Cor. V. 21, " He was made sin for us, that knew no sin, that
we might be made the righteousness of God in him." Mark it
well, Christ himself is not so completely righteous, but we are as
righteous as he was ; nor we so completely sinful, but he became,
being made sin, as completely sinful as we J; nay more, the
* The sin-offering, which was typical of Christ, is called ^^^?0J^ sin itself, erring,
going astray, or missing the mark, as the word signifies. See Mr. Samuel Crisp's (the
Doctor's son) " Christ made sin," &c. ; not the guilt and punishment of sin, but the
avoftia, the illegality and sinfulness of it were laid on Christ, and satisfied for by him :
Strip sin of this, and it will be an innocent thing, and deserve no punishment ; nor
could more be inflicted on Christ than in proportion to sin, or what of sin was laid upon
him ; and if there is any thing in it, or belongs to it, not bore by him, it must be bore
by the sinner himself, and upon this scheme not one of Adam's race can be saved.
f Being Christ's by imputation ; and though theirs by commission, and not Christ's
yet, being bore by him, shall not be reckoned to them, or charged upon them, or brought'
against them to their condemnation. See note p. 12, 13.
J But by imputation : Christ having all the sins of his people laid upon him, must,
in this sense, be reckoned as completely sinful as they; and they, having his righteous-
ness put on them, must be as completely righteous as he; which is to be understood,
not of his essential righteousness as God, nor of the righteousness of his office aa
mediator, and the faithful discharge of that ; for they are neither made gods nor
ipodiators ; but of that which he wrought out for them, in their room and stead, con-
sjs\tng of his active and passive obedience; " of which, (says Wi'lsius,) seeing all the
tK-wt equally partake, all must needs be perfectly righteous, through the same most
27-1 CHRIST THE GREAT PAYMASTER
I ighteousness that Christ hath with the Father, we are tUtj eame,
for " we are made the righteousness of God;" and that very
sinfulness that we were, Christ is made before God ; so that here
is a direct change, Christ takes our persons and condition, and
stands in our stead, we take his person and condition, and stand
in his stead * What the lord beheld Christ to be, that he beholds
his members to be ; what he beholds them to be in themselves,
that he beholds Christ himself to be.
So that if you would speak of a sinner, supposing him to be a
member of Christ, you must not speak of. what he manifests, but
of what Christ was.
If you would speak of one completely righteous, you must speak
of liira, and know that Christ himself is not more righteous than
he is ; and that that person is not more sinful than Christ was,
when he took his sins on him ; so that if you will reckon well,
beloved, you must always reckon yourself in another's person,
and that other in yours ; and until the Lord find out trans-
gressions of Christ's own acting, he v/ill never find one to charge
upon you.
Now, we have it professed unto us that " Christ was in all
things like unto us, sin only excepted ;" and for whatever sin you
liave committed, do, or shall commit, there was one sacrifice once
offered by Christ, through which he hath perfected them that
are sanctified ; that sacrifice of his made the exchange, by virtue
of which, we became that which Christ was, and he became that
wiiich we were ; thus the Lord laid iniquity upon him ; therefore
it is observable, the words in the text are indefinitely spoken,
" The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity ;"" not this or that
iniquity, but the whole bulk of it.
And if this seem not enough, that every transgression, first and
last, great and small, one with another, are carried away at once,
and laid upon Christ ; mark that well, in 1 John i. 7, it is as clear
as the light : " For the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth
us from all sin." [All] it is an admirable word though it be never
so small ; not past sins only, but present sins ; the person that
belongs to Christ is acquit of all transgressions, that whatever he
commits it is as if he never committed any in the world.
perfect righteousness of Christ, <sque ac ipse Christus, equally as Christ himself-
since the righteousness of the elect is the very righteousness of Christ itself, onlv with
this difference, that it is Christ's, because performed by him. ; ours, because imputed
to us." Animadv. Irenic. c. vi. s. 9.
* See the note in page 190.
OF ALL THE DEBTS OF HIS PEOPLE. 275
1. As for that objection about guilt, that the Lord lays the
guilt and punishment, but not simply the sin itself, for ought that
I see, it is a simple one ; for, you shall never find this distinction
in all the scripture, that God laid the guilt of sin upon Christ,
and not that itself ; as for the guilt of sin, it is not mentioned in
all the scripture, that God lays it, or that Christ bears it ; nay
further, to affirm, that the Lord laid upon Christ the guilt of sin,
and not the sin itself, is directly contrary to scripture ; for you
have many testimonies affirming, that the Lord lays sin upon him ;
what presumption then it is for a man to say, he lays on Christ
the guilt, and not the sin itself !
2. That you may have a little more light concerning this word
guilt ; for I know many spirits are troubled about it : for my part,
I do not think as some do, that guilt differs from sin, as that which
is an obligation or a binding over to the punishment of sin, rather
than sin itself being past and gone : but that you may have the
true nature of it opened, I will give you an instance, Gen. xliv.
21. When Joseph's brethren were accused for spies, it is said,
they spake one to another, " We are guilty concerning our brother,
in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and
we would not hear." What is the meaning of guilty here ?
Reuben expounds it in verse 22. " Did not I say to you, sin not
against the lad ? but you would not hearken unto me," and there-
fore behold we are guilty : what is that ? we sinned against the
child ; to be guilty, therefore, and to commit sin, is all one ; they
are but two words expressing the same things now that you may
understand the word guilt better, suppose a malefactor be asked,
guilty or not guilty 1 he answers, not guilty ; what doth he mean 1
he means he hath not done that fact which was laid to his charse :
when the jury is asked guilty or not guilty ? The jury saith,
guilty ; what do they mean ? Do they mean any thing in respect
of punishment? No; the jury hath nothing to do with that, but
only with matter of fact ; that is, whether the fact be done or not ;
so that to be guilty or not guilty, is to say the fact is done or not ;
guilt and sin are all one : where lies the difference ? The guilt
is upon Christ, but the sin itself is laid upon a man's own person ;
as much as to say, sin is laid upon Christ, but it is not laid upon
him, thai is just a contradiction : and whereas it is affirmed by
some, that the Lord laid the punishment of sin on Christ, and not
the sin, that is false ; though it be true that he was wounded for
T 2
276 CHRIST THE GREAT PAYMASTER
our transgressions, yet it doth not follow that he did not bear
them ; that scripture that warrants us that the punishment was
laid upon Christ, warrants us, that sin itself was laid upon him :
why do we believe that the punishment was laid upon Christ, but
because the Holy Ghost hath revealed it unto us ? The same hath
revealed to us, that sin itself is laid upon him, as well as the
punishment ; he that rejects the one, rejects the other.
But, to sum up all, beloved ; the truth is, Satan is very cunning,
and, for- a while, allows Christ the bearing of the guilt and
punishment, that so he may take away his bearing iniquity ; the
truth is, if iniquity be not really transferred to Christ, there is
neither the guilt nor the punishment of our sins upon him. And
observe these three things,
1. If iniquity itself had not been laid upon Christ, it had been
the extremest injustice in the world for the Lord to have bruised
him. That it was the Lord's own act, besides the Jews, is mani-
fest ; the apostles jointly concluded that they did nothing but what
was by the determinate counsel and purpose of God ; nay, in this
liii. of Isaiah, the Holy Ghost saith expressly, " It pleased the
Lord to bruise him ;" well, then, the act of bruising is God's ; if
he himself will bruise his Son, he hath some reason for it; vin-
dictive justice on a person, of necessity implies some fault com-
mitted. The Lord complaineth of his own people, that they should
say, " The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's
teeth are set on edge ;" that is, men should be punished without
fault ; how could the Father possibly thus scourge his own Son,
and yet have nothing to lay to his charge ? He doth not acquit
him from any sin of his own ; " He did no violence" at all : if,
therefore, Christ had not the faults of his own members become
his ; and, that the Lord did thus bruise him, as having these upon
him, he had been bruised for nothing.
Suppose a man should be cast into goal and arraigned, and,
though there be nothing found against him, yet the judge will
hang him ; what justice is there in this 1 Beloved, if our sins
be not transferred to Christ, and found upon him at the ai-raign-
ment of God, he should have been found complete and absolutely
innocent; and then, for the Lord to punish him, when he had
nothing to lay to bis charge, had been injustice to him. That
God, therefore, might be just in punishing Christ, and do no
more upon him than what was deserved, he must first have the
OF ALL THE DEBTS OF IIIS PEOPLE. 277
iniquity laid upon him, that is, the merit of that bruising ; that
there might be upon him the desert of what he did sustain.
(2.) Suppose Christ be bruised, and our iniquities not laid to
his charge, what are we the better for it ? Suppose a man dies
for a fault, what is this to a thief whose fault he doth not bear in
his suffering ? He must suffer for his own fault, till it be laid
upon the person of another; and being laid upon him, this other
suffers for him. Suppose a man be cast into prison for debt, and
another after him ; what is the casting in of the second, to the
first, except it be as a surety to the first; then, indeed, the first
may be acquitted by the imprisonment of the second ; but if the
second doth not lie in for the debt of the first, the first must
suffer, as if the second had not suffered at all ; Christ was
wounded and bruised ; what is that to the person whose iniquities
he doth not bear ?
If Christ did not suffer for your transgressions, what is that to
you if he suffered ten times more than he did ? The truth is,
beloved, justice, as a blood-hound, follows the scent of blood,
and seizes wherever it finds it *. If a deer-stealer shall cast off
his garment of blood, and another, that did not steal, should take
it on, the blood-hound would fasten upon him that is not the
thief; but, if the thief himself bears the blood of his own o-arment
the blood-hound will fasten on him : and so will justice do ; if
Christ doth not take our sins upon himself, justice will pursue
us, that have our blood upon ourselves, and so consequently give
us up to wrath: but, if Christ take our blood, justice will follow
him, and seize upon him, as if he had been the very person acting
the sin. If justice do not find the blood upon him, it never pur-
sues him, but it pursues 'the person f where this blood remains ;
it will fasten wherever it finds it.
(3.) Whence should it be, in respect of the event, that the
elect and reprobate differ one from the other ? The difference lies
in this, the elect shall be saved, and the reprobate shall be
damned !j] ; the immediate cause is this, the reprobate bears his
own sin, by reason of which he bears his ensuing damnation ; the
elect person bears not his own sin, and so there is nothino- found
against him, for vvhich he should be damned. Now, suppose that
Christ leaves iniquity still remaining upon him that is elected,
and the sin be found upon him, as well as upon a reprobate, sin
* Mat. xxii. 13; Rev. xx. 15. f Mat. vii. 23. Rom. ix. 22; Heb. vi. 8.
278 CHRIST THE GREAT PAYMASTER
would bring the same desert that it doth upon the reprobate
The first beginning of the difference is in this, Christ takes away
the sins of the one, and leaves the sins upon the other still, and
they bear the punishment in this and in the world to come. But,
as for the elect, the Lord takes the iniquities of them, and trans-
lates them upon Christ, who, in that regard, beai's all the Avrath
due to them for them; and so they become discharged from
punishment, both in this life and in the life to come. The truth
is, wherever sin is, the justice of God will have plenary satisfac-
tion, even for all the sins in the world, either by the sinner him-
self, or by some surety for him; Christ, seeing he hath taken the
sins of the elect upon him, must pay the full value ; and his pay
must be as full as the reprobates in hell ; for God Avill have
tlie utmost farthing. This is the difference between an elect
person, and a reprobate; Christ first paid all that for them,
which they, with the reprobate, should otherwise have paid, in
their own persons, in hell ; and, therefore, you can conceive no
real difference between them and you, if Christ doth not bear
your sins upon himself.
A word of application, and so I will have done; and that shall
be but one. If it be iniquity itself that is laid upon Christ, then,
beloved, see what cause you have to take up all your time to be
his ; that being his, and receiving the grace of God administered
unto you by him, you may see what cause you have to take up
the triumph of the apostle ; " Who shall lay any thing to the
charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth." It is a
sweet song, beloved, and a song of songs indeed, and there is
mighty strength in the argument : here is first a question, " Who
shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect ?" Who is it ?
Some will say. It is God, I fear ; I fear not men, they cannot do
it; I fear God will lay something to my charge: if there be sin,
it is against him; if there be any wrath, it is he that must pour it
out: all that I fear is God. Nay, fear not, saith the apostle, " It
is God that justifieth ," therefore never fear that he will lay any
thing to thy charge. Can God say, I pronounce thee innocent,
and justify thee from thy sin ; and will he, with the same breath
say, I have this and that other sin to lay to thy charge ? This
were a contradiction. If any man in the world will offer to do it,
they have nothing to do in this work ; it is God, and he only
charges with sin ; and if he doth it not, who can do it! Nav,
OF ALL THE DEBTS OF HIS PEOPLE. 279
" Christ is dead, nay rather is risen again ;" as if he should
have said, The Lord laid our iniquities upon him ; he made him
to bear the burthen of all, and it sunk him to death, and he was
cast into the gaol for debt ; now we see him come out. Seeing
God is so exact that he will have the utmost farthing, it is cer-
tain he is quit, because he is delivered ; he is freed, " He is not
dead, but is risen." Oh ! beloved, how comfortably might you
walk in all conditions in the world, if you did but carry this in
your breast! Well, come what will, I am quit of all tny sins,
1 stand innocent ; for Christ himself hath satisfied the Father to
the full for them, and he will never remember them again.
Mark but one passage of scripture, and I will conclude ;
2 Cor. V. 19 — ^21, " God was in Christ reconciling the world
unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them, and made
him to be sin for us," Mark, in the business of transferring sin
to Christ, God's order ; when he will do all with Christ for men's
sins, he gives to them a full acquittance ; he cancels his bonds,
so that he v/ill have nothing in the world to shew against him, so
it imports : as for the world (believers I mean) " God was in
Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their
trespasses unto them ;" that is, he will not have a word more to
say to them ; he will not have a sin more to charge upon them •
but, as for Christ, he shall be made sin ; that is the reason wh\
God gives them a discharge, because he hath found out one thai
is mighty to bear it, as you have it in Psalm Ixxxix. 19, " Thou
spakest in vision to thy Holy One, I have laid help upon one
that is mighty ;" as if he should have said to Christ, I have a
company of broken creatures ; for a debt that is owing to me I
could punish them for ever, but I should never pay myself out of
them ; now I have found thee, a person able to pay ; and, seeing
I have found thee so, I will take it here : I will pay myself out
of thee.
In Heb. vii. 22, you have a notable expression of Christ ;
" Wherefore," saith the apostle, " he is the surety of a better
testament:" God takes Christ as a surety; look as men will do,
so deals God with him. A rich surety is bound for a broken
debtor, that is not worth a groat; what will the creditor do in
this case ? He will never look after the beggar ; he knows there
is nothing to be looked for there ; he will look after the rich
man ; the rich man must stand to it ; let him look to it, he shall
280 SIN TRANSACTED REALLY UPON CHRIST.
pay it: so doth God; Christ is become the surety of a better co-
venant; man is a broken debtor, and Christ is a surety, one that
is rich, and able to pay, therefore God will look after none but
him ; for this cause Christ gives his own single bond, and God
is content to take it, and looks for no other payment but him.
You know, when a surety becomes bound, instead of the prin-
cipal, the surety is as much the principal, after he is bound, as the
principal was the debtor before : so Christ, being a surety, not
only stands liable to the payment of the debt, but he actually
stands the debtor, upon which ground the payment may be ex-
acted : for, except the person be a debtor, there can be no just
claim of payment ; therefore the surety is a real debtor ; nay,
Christ being our surety, is become sole debtor ; God hath not
only taken him to be surety, but, upon Christ's coming and
giving his bond, he cancels the bond, that now we are as free
as if we never had been bound.
SERMON XVIII.
SIN TRANSACTED REALLY UPON CHRIST-
ISAIAH liii. 6.
AND THE LORD HATH LAID ON HTM THE INIQUITY OF US ALL.
I ENTERED upon thesc words, not far from hence, the last
Lord's day ; and, because some desired further light in the truth
contained in them, I thought it not amiss to communicate some-
thing more, that light may shine forth from them.
The whole chapter sets out Christ abundantly, with ravishing
sweetness : in this text, and the verse before it, is contained the
sum of the whole gospel of Christ, the fountain of all the glad
tidings published to the sons of men. Here the Holy Ghost tells
us, how God disposes of our sins, then of the desert of them, and
SIN TRANSACTED RRALLY UPON CHUIST. 231
what the fruit of this disposing is ; " He laid the iniquities of us
all upon him ; He was wounded for our transgressions." The
fruit is, 1. Peace by his cnastisement. 2. Healing by his stripes.
The words of the text are so many propositions or doctrines ;
there are these particulars contained in them :
1. What it is the Lord laid on Christ, " Iniquity." 2. How
the Lord disposes of it, " He laid it on him." 3. Whose iniquities
he lays on him, " The iniquities of us all," such as have gone
astray. 4. When he laid them on him, the thing is past, " He
hath laid," it is already done. We have considered the first of
these particulai'S, " That it is iniquity itself that the Lord laid
upon Christ ;" not barely punishment, leaving iniquity behind ;
but iniquity itself is laid upon him. I cannot stand to repeat all
particularly ; I will, therefore, fall at once upon the second thing,
viz. How the Lord disposes of this iniquity, " The Lord hath laid
the iniquity of us all upon him ; let that be the proposition,
putting the emphasis upon the word laid. If ever there be
joy, peace, and rest of spirit, or thou wilt be of good cheer, as
having knowledge of thy sins being forgiven, it must be fetched
out of this, " The Lord hath laid the iniquity of us all upon
Christ." Men may suppose comfort and joy, and, in the strength
of their fancy, peradventure, be at some kind of rest out of some
other apprehensions ; but there is no solid rest to any, but as it
is founded on this, that iniquity is laid upon Christ. Satan
knows this well enough, and therefore he raiseth a cloud of dust
(as I may so say) to obscure the glorious light of the sun of
righteousness shining forth in this truth : there is such a stir to
shift off the plain genuine meaning of the Holy Ghost, that the
truth is, persons scarce know where to find rest for the sole of
their feet, in respect of peace, through the forgiveness of sins.
And indeed, beloved, as the covenant of God is peculiar only to
those that shall partake of the fulness of Christ ; so none shall
truly and thoroughly understand such truths as these, but those
that are taught of God himself; which is one branch of the cove-
nant, " They shall be taught of me."
That we may the better understand what evangelical sweetness
is wrapped up in this truth, let us a little consider, what this
phrase imports, according to the true meaning of the Holy Ghost.
A great deal of shuffling there is about it, that the spirits of men
can hardly receive it, or take it in plain English, "That iniquity
282 ' SIN TRANSACTED REALLY UPON CHRIST.
is laid upon Christ:" by it, men generally conceive a kind of
connivance of God; as if the Lord took notice, that this, or that,
and the other person indeed bear transgression, but he forbears
him, and will for the present purpose, that it is upon Christ; and
so by laying its iniquity upon him, it must be no more, but God
will be contented to esteem and think, iniquity is upon him ;
while indeed, and in truth, it remains where it was, upon the man
himself that committed it.
But, beloved, under favour, I must be bold to tell you, that
while men seek to vindicate God one way in this kind, they ex-
tremely abuse him in another; for if this be truth, that God only
counts or supposes iniquity upon Christ, whilst he knows well
enouD"h, it is yet upon this, and that person, and he himself bears
it; mark what will follow; what will you call this esteem of
God? Is it such an esteem and supposition, that is righteous or
false 1 Suppose a man speak of things, not according to the
truth of the nature of the thing, but it is otherwise than he speaks
of it ; in this case, I would know whether such a speech be true
or false : the truth of speech depends upon this, when that, and
the thing whereof it is made, do agree together ; if they agree,
the speech is true; if it tends one way, and the thing itself
another, it is false : now then speeches are true or false, according
to the truth of the thing spoken of; so are the thoughts and sup-
positions of the mind ; for all these are but the work, or speech
of it ; therefore if the mind think of things, and these be other-
wise, is it a true or false thought ? a true one it cannot be, be-
cause it is not consonant to the thing thought of; so there is a
mistake : but further, suppose a man know certainly beforehand,
a thino' is otherwise than he speaks, or than he thinks it to be,
Avhat call you this ? This must be more than simply or barely a
falsehood ; in common acceptation this is no better than a lie ; a
man knows that a thing is thus and thus, yet he saith it is other-
wise : suppose, I know a man is in such a place, and I will think
him in another, what is this better than a lie ? Now to come to
the point in hand, " The Lord laid iniquity upon Christ •" what
is that 1 he will suppose, think, or take it for granted, that
iniquity is on Christ, but he knows it is on the persons them-
selves still ; see how God m.ust be charged by men that run inti
such a strain as this ; at the best they charge him with mistakes ;
for if he knows that the sins of men remain still upon themselves,
SIN REALLY TRANSACTED UPON CHRIST. 283
and yet will suppose they do not, but are on Christ, is this sup-
position according to the true being of the thing or no ? Cer-
tainly, beloved, that all-wise, all-knowing, all-searching God,
hath no other thoughts of things than as they are ; as he himself
either makes or disposes of them, he esteems and thinks of them,
so consequently of sin. If he says, " He lays, or hath laid,
iniquity upon Christ," and hath discharged the believer from all
iniquity; certainly God supposes and esteems things to be thus,
as he hath disposed of them.
Indeed, let us not make God so childish : if he laid iniquity
on Christ, he past this real act upon him, and the thing is thus
really, as he disposes of it ; and therefore, in brief, this laying
iniquity upon him, is such a translation of sin from those whose
iniquity he lays upon him, that by it he now becomes, or did
become, when they were laid, as really and truly the person that
had all these sins, as those men who did commit them really and
truly had them themselves : it is true, as I said before, Christ
never sinned in all his life ; " He did no violence, neither was
any deceit in his mouth ;" but this hinders not, but that there may
be on him an absolute transaction ; so that by laying iniquity
on him, he becomes the sole person in the behalf of all the elect,
that truly hath iniquity upon him.
For the better clearing of this, give me leave to open a few
expressions of scripture that speak to the same effect, and per-
adventure some will give better light than others ; observe, 2
Cor. V. 21. Having spoken of being reconciled unto believers,
he tells us, " He (that is Christ) was made sin for us :" here is
not only sin itself charged upon him, but it is expressed, how
God charged it, " He was made sin ;" and this word, made sin,
hath more in it to shew the reality of sin being upon Christ,
by way of transaction, than the word laid : if you read the mar-
ginal notes upon our text, you shall perceive how translators
render it; the Lord, saith the margin, made all our sins to meet
upon him ; the text, as we read it, runs, " The Lord hath laid
on him the iniquity of us all ;" now what is it for a thino- to be
made ? is it but a mere imaginary supposition or fancy ? doth not
the word (make) constitute the reality of the being of such athinf
that is made 1 If you will know, what it is to be made sin more
fully, look into Rom. v. 19, " As by one man's disobedience
many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one many are
284 SIN REALLY TRANSACTED UPON CHRIST.
made righteous :" what is the meaning of that being made sin •
ners ? the whole drift (as you may plainly see) of the apostle, 13
to compare the restoration of persons by Christ with the fall of
them by Adam. It is true, men are made sinneis two ways, they
are made sinners fruitfully by Adam ; there is not only an uni-
versal sin cast over all mankind, but there is a fruitfulness to
commit it ; but the apostle's drift in that place is, to shew, that
the personal transgression of Adam in eating the forbidden fruit,
became the sin of all the men of the world, even before they them-
selves did either good or evil ; from whence David saith, in
Psalm li. 5. " In sin was I conceived;" now David, when he
was conceived, had not himself personally sinned, neither was
sin fruitful in him, to do evil himself; and yet he, even then,
was made sin by the disobedience of one ; now, what is this ?
is it merely to be supposed or imagined to have sin ? or is not
there a reality of guilt, or of sin upon men by Adam's trans-
gression 1 The apostle saith expressly, " By the disobedience of
one, many were made sinners :" and it appears, that we are ac-
tual, that is to say, real sinners, by that very sin of his; that is,
separate from transgressions, in our own persons : if then, a
making persons sinners constitute a thing really in being, and
not merely in imagination, it must follow, that Christ being made
sin, or sin being laid upon him, is a real act; God really passes
over sin upon him, still keeping this fact, that Christ sinned
not; so that in respect of this act, not one sin of the believer is
Christ's*, but in respect of transgression, the conveyance of it,
or passing accounts from one head to another, there is a reality
of making Christ to be sin. When one man becomes a debtor in
another's room, legally and by consent ; this surety that becomes
the debtor, is not barely supposed to be so, but by undertaking
it, and legally having it passed upon him, he is as really and
truly the debtor, as he was that was the principal before : so that
there is an absolute truth and reality of God's act of passing over
and laying sins upon Christ. If a judge would think such a
man to be a malefactor, when in his own conscience he knows
he is not, and upon his thought that he is, will actually hang him,
is there any justice in such an act ? If God will but suppose
* This clearly shews the sense in which the Dr. is always to be understood ; ihat
the sins of believers become Christ's, not only in respect of the act, as done by him,
but as debts become those who are surety for others ; in which, as there is a vpal
passing of debts over to them, so there is a real passing over of sins to Christ.
SIS TRANSACTED KEALLY UPON CHRIST
285
Christ to have sin upon him, and knows that he hath it not, but
others have it upon them ; and upon this supposition will execute
Christ, what will you call this ? iVs I said before, there must
of necessity be a present desert upon a person, before the judge
can inflict any thing upon him ; a fault must be found upon a
man, before he may be executed legally and justly ; therefore
the fault must be found really upon Christ himself, before there
can be an act of God's justice in wounding him.
You have another phrase expressing the same thing, Isaiah
liii. 11, 12, " He shall bear the sins of many :" now what is it
to bear a thing ? Doth a man bear a thing merely in the way of
supposition ? or where there is a bearing, is there not a real
weight ? This I am sure of, where the Holy Ghost speaks of
men's " bearing their sin," he speaks of such a thing as shall
lie heavy upon men : in Leviticus you have it often expressed,
" And they shall bear their iniquities ;" speaking of persons that
should be rejected and cast off: what is this bearing, but that
sin should be found upon men, having a weight which shall be
able to crush, bow, and break them ? " My soul (saith Christ)
is heavy unto death ;" and thus he spake before he suiFered any
real bodily pain ; how came it to be heavy, if there were not
some weight that he bore ? If he did bear iniquity, and not the
weio-ht of it on him, how can his soul be heavy ? Nothing is
bowled down, except there be some real burthen borne that
should do it : so that there must therefore be sin really past
upon Christ, or else he could never stoop and bow, and be so
heavy loaded as he was.
There is one phrase more in John i. 29 ; by the way, give me
leave to tell you, that whereas it is generally received, that John
prepared the way of Christ, and therefore is called his fore-
runner, because he went in a way of beating down and breaking
in pieces ; you shall find, I say, that his main business, for
which he is called the preparer of the way of the Lord, was, he
pointed with his finger to Christ, that so people might now see
him whom they expected; "Behold (saith he) the Lamb of
God, that takes away the sin of the world ;" I say, this was his
main business, to point out Christ, that people might see him
now to be come ; and for this very cause, he is said to « prepare
the way of the Lord:" what is the taking away of sm ? it is
worth consideration, beloved : it cannot sink into the head oi
286 SIN TRANSACTED REALLY UPON CHRIST.
any reasonable person, though he be but merely natural, that a
thing should be taken away, and yet be loft behind ; it is a flat
contradiction : if a man be to receive money at such a place,
and he takes it away with him, is it left in the place where it
was, when he hath taken it away ? The Lamb of God, Christ,
takes away the sins of the world, and doth he leave them behind
him? it is a contradiction: look Lev. xvi. 21, 22, where you
have that most admirable type of all the types of Christ men-
tioned, and that is the type of the scape-goat ; and there you
will plainly perceive what it is for iniquity to be laid upon
Christ, and how far forth it concerns the believer ; " And
Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat,
and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel,
and all their transgressions and sins, putting them upon the
head of the goat, and shall send him away into the wilderness,
and the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land
not inhabited, and they shall let go the goat into the wilder-
ness." There was a goat slain, and a live one sent into the wil •
derness, that is, Christ dying, and Christ living : it is true, our
sins are laid upon Christ dying, that satisfied for them ; but the
discharge of our sins, or receiving the acquittance, is from
Christ alive or risen. Now as this scape-goat must have the
sins of the people laid upon the head of him, and, when laid,
must go into the wilderness, and carry their sins with him ; just
so doth Christ with the sins of believers : God lays iniquities
upon him, namely, by transferring them upon him, that he takes
them away, and carries them into a land of forgetfulness, into
the wilderness, a land not inhabited ; that is, into a place that
shall not be heard of any more : therefore, the Lord, in the
closure of the new covenant, shuts it up thus, " Your sins and
your iniquities will I remember no more." How so ? He hath
carried them away into a land not inhabited ; he hath taken
them away, and, therefore, they are not left behind upon the
person whose they were, till Christ took them away ; though I
say, still the person of a believer daily, hourly, every moment,
renews several acts, which, in their own nature, are sins ; they
commit such things that are not according to the revealed word of
God ; yet, Christ being become the " surety of a better testa-
ment," still has taken off every transgression which arises ; he
died not for present and past sins only, but " for tlie sins of the
BIN TRANSACTED REALLY UPON CHRIST.
281
whole world;" that is, for all the sins of all Ms elect people at
once, both Gentiles as well as Jews, even to the end of the
world ; he hath taken and carried them away.
There are many objections, I know, arising in the hearts of
men yea even of believers themselves, till they come to be
more and more enlightened, against this reality of transacting
sin upon Christ, by which the person of a believer is acquitted :
some of them are gathered out of phrases of scripture ; others
are raised up from reason ; some are maintained by common and
natural sense. I shall endeavour (as clearly as possibly I may)
to answer those of greatest moment, that people may be satisfied
in the truth.
Against such reality of transacting sin upon Christ, there is
one phrase of the apostle Paul, very much objected, and that is
[imputing]; and hence, say some, God's laying of iniquity upon
Christ, is nothing else but God's imputing sm to him. Now
this word [imputation] in the common understanding of people
ordinarily, seems to carry something different in it from the real
act of transferring sin from a believer unto Christ ; it seems to
signify only a supposition or connivance. Give me leave to
open this word [imputing] to you; I am confident it stumbles
many a person, not understanding the true meaning of the Holy
Ghost in it ; and I shall endeavour to clear it to you out of
scripture itself First, That which I shall answer for the impu-
tation of sin to Christ, is this ; though I have searched the
scripture as narrowly as possibly I may, yet, this I find, that
throuohout the whole there is not one passage of it that speaks
of imputing our sins to Christ : in Rom. iv. the word imptitaiion,
and that which is equivalent to it, accounting, and reckoning, are
seven times mentioned; and, in chap. v. 13, it is mentioned
ao-ain ; but still where the Holy Ghost speaks of imputation, he
speaks of sin not imputed, and of righteousness imputed to us ;
but not once of sin imputed unto Christ*: so that if we put
* Nf^t that the Doctor was against the imputation of sin to Christ, or thought it an
Not that tne ^o"" ^ , j | different phrases, he is all along.
"""."P'Tlurtrs ccntndin. for; and he makes use of it himself, p. 16; but what
,n thesediscourses ccntenmn 1 , ^^ .^ -^ ^^^ ^ ^^^ imaginary,
\^i :\TZX1 of ChriTt! and not real ; 'which sense he sets aside, and is
i: ir n prodS° the objectio;s he does; and settles the true sonse of it by
.tn^nr nnTacco^n in^. which illustrates the true nature of imputation, as he
Tfter obsfrves and"" whfc'h sense he readily allows it. as not being opposite to a
W act of Go'd in transferring sin to Christ . which is the thing his heart was a.'
upon to prove, and to beat into the minds of men.
iSR5& SIN TRANSACTED REALLY UPON CHRIffl
this objection off as not being the phrase of scripture, it might
be a full answer.
But some will say, there is that which is equivalent to it; for
if sin be not imputed unto us, and righteousness is ; as we partake
of Christ's righteousness, so he partakes of our sin ; we partake
of his righteousness by imputation, therefore he partakes of our
sin by imputation.
I will not contend about words ; we will take it for granted,
that it is consonant to scripture, that our sins are imputed unto
Christ; all the difficulty lies in the true understanding of the
word imputation ; how shall we find it ? Look into Lev. xvii. 4,
that will give light unto it ; " What man soever there be of the
house of Israel, that kills an ox, &c. blood shall be imputed unto
that man, he hath shed blood, and that man shall be cut off from
among his people." Now, beloved, mark what the meaning of
the word imputed is ; it is no more but this, as he is truly and
really guilty of blood, so he shall really and truly go for a bloody
man : imputation here, you see plainly, hath reference to the
truth and reality of the thing ; he hath shed blood, and therefore
blood shall be imputed to him.
Again, look into 1 Sam. xxii. 15, where you shall find Abi-
raelech pleading hard with Saul, for his own life, and for the lives
of his household : it seems Saul charged Abimelech, that he had
relieved David with victuals and arms against him ; for which
cause, Saul calls him forth, to the end he might destroy him for
it; now mark how Abimelech pleads for himself; " Did I then
begin to inquire of God for him ? be it far from me, let not the
king impute any thing to his servant;" what is the meaning of
impute here ? First, Abimelech acquits himself from being
faulty in what Saul charged upon him ; he did no such thing, he
was accused of, hereupon, saith he, " Let not the king impute
any such thing to me ;" as much as to say, let the king deter-
mine and conclude of things according as really and truly they
are : this is the meaning of the word there.
Again, look into Rom. v. 13, you shall see there again the
worA iinpute, is taken in the same sense; the apostle saith, " But
sin is not imputed where there is no law ;" now mark in chap.
IV, 15, " Where there is no law, there is no transgression ;" put
these two together, the meaning must be this; God imputes no
sin where he finds no law transgressed; that is, there is no
SIN TRANSACTED KKALI.Y UPON CHRIST, 2S9
sin in being, where there is no law transgressed ; and therefore lie
so lietermines and concludes of the thing. God's determining of
things according as indeed they are, is his imputing things
evermore.
Look into Rom. iv. 3, 4, There are two words that illustrate
the nature of imputation, and they are these, accounting and
reckoning ; now enquire and understand the real and common use
of these words, to account and reckon : suppose men are to pass
an account, for that is the proper meaning of the word ; to
account, is to pass an account; and, upon the balance, there is
so much money accounted to such a man ; what is the meaning
of it ? Is it not that there is really so much money due to this
man ? And so, for the word rechoning, what is that ? You know
how ordinary it is for men to reckon together; for accounting
and reckoning are all one. Men cast up their accounts, and,
upon the casting of them up, they find this and that due ; that is,
they reckon that such a man oweth so much: so that understand-
ing the course of scripture, and the common use of the phrases
of reckoning and accounting; you shall find that imputing is
nothing but God's determination and conclusion that he passes
upon things, as really and truly they are, without imagining
things to be so and so, when indeed, and in truth, they are
not so.
There is a second passage of scripture that is much objected
against this reality of God's passing sin upon Christ, that is in
Rom. iv. 17, and, indeed, at first glance, it seems to carry some
strength with it, that there is not a reality in the thing, but that
God is contented to account it so ; " He calleth those things that
be not, as though they were." Some may suppose that the Holy
Ghost here imports to us, that it may well stand with God,
though sins are not indeed upon Christ, yet to call them so, as if
they were upon him.
But, beloved, give me leave to give you the true scope of the
apostle in this place ; and you shall plainly perceive, that this
is broken sense, wholly torn away from his true meaning in it :
mark it well, I pray; the apostle, in the beginning* of this
Chapter tells us of God's promise made to Abraham, recited Gen.
XV, 5, I have made thee a father of many nations." Now,
ws find this promise was spoken before Abraham actually had
ady seed and, when his body was dead in a manner, and so wi**
xs
890 STN TRANSACTED REALLY UPON CHRIST.
Dot; hereupon he takes upon him to commend the faith of
Abraham, that he should build upon the word of God, when
there was so little likelihood of the thing; it was all one as
if it were not at all; and he shews the ground whereupon he built
with so much confidence, even the power of God, that makes
things that are not, when he hath said the word, to be. So that
the meaning of the place, is only this, though Abraham was not,
that is, he was dead unto fruitfulness, yet the Lord having said,
he would make him a " father of many nations," calls him as
fruitful a person as he that was most so, though for the present
he was not ; so that, for the meaning of it, the utmost that can
be made is this, that God, in respect of his power to bring to
pass, when he saith the word, will call things as if they were
present in being, when they are not, but in time shall be.
But what is this to the present purpose, if God did not really
transfer sin to Christ, nor never meant to do it ? For if he hath
not done it already^ he never will ; I say, if he neither hath nor
will, how doth this place prove that " he calls things that are not,
as though they were?" This is certain, beloved, though all
things that ever shall be in the world, are most present to the
Lord at once ; for so they may be said to be, in respect of him,
though, as to the things themselves, they yet are not; yet, in all
the scripture, you shall never find the Lord expressing himself
so ; he never calls things thus and thus, when they never are, nor
never shall be. If Christ has not already borne the sins of men
himself, then certainly he never shall ; for he is not now to do
any more, to compass any thing not compassed ; and if neither
neretofore sin hath been, nor hereafter shall be, laid upon him,
how can God call that which was not, nor never shall be, as if it
were?
There is, therefore, beloved, a certain transacting of sin upon
Christ, so real, that, indeed, the believer, though an actor of
transgression, is as absolutely and truly discharged of his sins, as
if he himself had not committed them. As a debtor, when the
surety hath taken the debt on him, and the debtor receives an
acquittance, he is as free of the debt as if he had never run into
it : so, I say, it is with believers, Christ being made " a surety
of a belter testament;" and, thereby becoming really and truly the
delLcr instead of them; he so bears all the debt himself, tha*
th^j aie altogether released and discharged, as if they ha f
SIN TRANSACTED REALLV UPON CHRIST, 291
never been in debt. Still, I say, this hinders not, but that there
is committing of sin every day by the believer; but yet the virtue
of Christ's suretyship takes it off as soon as ever it is committed
nay, he hath a proviso, a stock* in bank to satisfy for it before
the commission of it.
Now, beloved, as there are many strong objections out of
many passages of scripture ; so, likewise, are there many strong
ones, as many conceive from natural sense and reason ; which,
yet, being well weighed and considered, will vanish into smoke.
' ^ould willingly go on to answer these, but the time at present
win not permit.
SERMON XIX.
SIN TRANSACTED REALLY UPON CHRIST.
ISAIAH liii. 6.
AND THE LORD HATH LAID ON HIM THE INIQUITY OF US ALL.
I HAVE elsewhere (as some of you know) entered upon these
words, which aiford divers notable, sweet, soul-refreshing truths ;
every word having its weight. 1. It was iniquity that the Lord
laid upon Christ. 2. The Lord hath laid this upon him. Tliis
laying of our iniquity upon Christ, carries a deal of life in it ; it
weighs down the scale by which we mount. Now, by laying
iniquity, the Holy Ghost means plainly such a taking away, and
bearing of it by Christ, that the believer, whose iniquity he bears,
is wholly discharged of it, as if he had never committed any at
all. This laying of iniquity is not a mere supposition of God,
that Christ now bears sin, while the believer in deed and truth
bears it himself; but it is such a real act of God transferring tha
• Cant. vii. 13. Psal. xxxi. 19.
v2
29^ SIN TRANSACTED REALLY UPON CHRIST.
sin of a believer from him unto Christ, as when a surety stands in
the room of a debtor, the debtor is by this acquitted of the debt,
and the surety is as really the debtor now, as the debtor hiraseli
was before. It is true, where principal and surety are in a joint
bond, the debtor lies open as well as the surety, and the surety as
the debtor ; but if the surety will come into the room of the
debtor, he is so become the debtor, that the principal is now as
free as if he had owed nothing. I use it as a demonstration,
because it is the apostle's own, " He is made the surety oi a
better testament." I cannot insist at large upon what I have
formerly delivered; the sum is this, God made him to be sin, not
only by way of supposition, but really; he bore the iniquities ot
many; he took away the sins of the believer; in all which there
is a real act. And, whereas it is objected, that this word laying
is expressed by the phrase of imputing^ I answer, that it is no+
true ; for, though the word impute is often used in reference to
Christ; " Righteousness is imputed to us; our sins are not
imputed unto us," saith the apostle ; but, in all the scripture,
you shall not find sin imputed unto Christ; and, if sin be
imputed unto him, it is no more but God's determining and
iudging Christ to bear sin, as in deed and in truth he doth bear
it. But I must hasten
I find, beloved, that there is nothing that embitters the life of
a poor tender soul so much as this one thing, that they bear still
their own iniquities, which lie heavy upon them ; and I think
that there cannot be a better service done to the poor weak
members of Christ, than to shew them how they are wholly eased
of this most unsupportable burthen of their sins. Satan knows,
that now there is no other yoke of bondage to keep believers
under, than to hold them under this principle, that their sins are
not really already laid upon Christ, but that they themselves must
bear some of them. I know the objections are very many, and,
it first sight, seem to be very strong ; we will see how we can
take them away.
Natural reason, I know, pleads mightily against laying iniquity
iipon Christ, taken really and properly
i. It is against justice, saith reason, that Christ, being innocent,
sr^ould be charged with sin ; as unjust as if you should take a true
nonbst man, and charge him with felony, and execute him for it.
I answer. It is no injustice to charge iniquity upon Christy
SIN TRANSACTED REALLY UPON CHRIST. 293
thor-o^n he be innocent, not only because the scripture saith ex-
pressly, " That the Lord did lay iniquity upon him," though be
never did violence himself, which is enough to satisfy any that
will be ruled by scripture ; but, I say, in reason itself, it is not
injustice, though Christ be innocent, that yet he should bear
iniquity: it is true, if God should take Christ, and force him to
bear it, whether he would or no. it were injustice indeed ; but
Christ willingly offers himself to bear it, that God may have
satisfaction, and a poor creature may have relief; he being thus
willing to take it upon himself, it is no injustice in God to lay it
upon him: observe it in reason, and it is not injustice; you have
nothing in the world more common than this ; suppose a man
oweth an hundred pounds, if the creditor come to another man
(suppose a father) and demand payment, and arrest him for it,
and make him pay it, this is injustice indeed ; but if a father come
to a creditor, and say, my son is a broken man, he can pay
nothing, I am rich and able to pay all, lay your debt upon me, I
will undertake it ; upon such a tender, is it injustice for the
creditor now to charge the debt upon the father that thus offers
himself? There is nothing more common, it is an usual thing
for a man to seal bonds for his friend, though the debt be not his
own till he hath sealed, yet then he is as truly the debtor as he
that had the money ; and so when the time of payment comes,
the money is demanded of him, and lawfully charged upon him,
because he hath made himself the debtor: so God the Fathei
doth not take Christ as a rich man, to pay whether he will or no
but upon a joint agreement between them, Christ being contented,
God takes him for a surety : " In the volume of the book it is
written of me, (Heb. x. 7, 9,) that I should do thy will, O God:
I am contenr," saith Christ, " Lo, I come, to do thy will, O
God :" here was, T say, a joint agreement ; and seeing Christ
agrees to it, where is now the injustice, that the " Lord should
lay iniquity upon him," when for his satisfaction, Christ was con-
tented to do it ? The apostle tells us, tliat it was not possible
that those gifts and sacrifices that were offered before of the Jews,
could make those that did the service perfect, in Heb. ix. 9.
Seeing then there was no other way to satisfy God, but Christ*s
own coming, and that he might be satisfied he would come and
freely tender himself, there was no injustice that he should have
* iniquity laid upon him," when he was content to bear it.
(i94 SIN TRANSACTED REALLY UPON CHRIST,
2. It is further objected ; saith reason, it is a contradiction to
say, Christ is innocent, and yet bears iniquity. Innocence is
nothing but full freedom from all crime and fault : how can Christ
be said to be innocent, and yet to have fault upon him ? it is a
contradiction in reason.
I answer, it is no contradiction to say that Christ is innocent
and yet bears fault, being laid upon him : it is true, if these pro-
positions were affirmed in every respect alike, it were a contra-
diction indeed ; but it is commonly known, those things that are
in their own nature contradictory, yet if they be spoken of m
divers respects, are not so ; Christ is innocent in respect oi his
own personal act ; he bears fault as he stands a common person :
Christ therefore is considered two ways. ]. Personally. 2.
Representatively, as a common person. In respect of his own
person, he is innocent ; as he is a common person, he bears the
fault of many.
3. Yet further, iniquity cannot be laid upon Christ, saith reason ;
for if he should really bear iniquity, he himself, for it, must be
separated from God; and if so, how can he make those that were
sometimes afar off, near ? The prophet saith, " Your iniquities
have separated between you and your God ;" was Christ separated
from God, will you say 'f if he were not, how could he bear
iniquity.
I answer, this objection makes It most manifest, that Christ did
really bear iniquity, in that it is the cause of separation from God ;
it is certainly true, wherever iniquity is, it separates; nay, from
this I affirm, as Christ did bear it, so for that he was separated
from Go-l ; this peradventure will need some strong proof, there-
fore you shall have the strongest that can be given for the de-
monstration of it : that Christ was separated from God, it is his
own testimony, and just at that instant, when sin lay heavy upon
him ; I pray construe well those words of Christ, " My God, my
God, why hast thou forsaken me V What do you call this for-
saking here? was it not a separation between God and him?
Wlien friends, after they have gone hand in hand together, the
o;ie forsakes the other, what is that? he separates himself from
him. God was here separated from Christ, or else Christ speaks
untruth, for he complains and cries out, in the bitterness of his
spirit; " My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?"
Von will say, it may be this forsaking was but for a little moment
SIN TllANSACTED REALLY UPON CHRIST. 295
To this 1 answer. It was as long as sin was upon him ; had not
Christ breathed out the sins of men that were upon him. he had
never seen God again ; he having taken sin upon him, he must
first unload himself of it, before he can be brought near to God :
therefore, beloved, you shall find that passage of the Psalmist,
" Thou art my son, this day have I begotten thee," is expounded
by the apostle of the resurrection of Christ ; as if the Lord did
then beget his son anew, as it were. There was a separation and
a forsaking when Christ died, but at his rising there was a meet-
inty again, a kind of renewing of his sonship with God*, " This
day have I begotten thee ;" therefore in Rom, viii. 34, the apostle
tells us, " That it is Christ that is dead, nay rather that is risen
again, and sits at the right hand of God;" what doth he infer
from thence 1 Who shall therefore lay any thing to his charge 1
as much as to say, till Christ himself came off from men's sins,
they were in danger of being charged with sin still. It is Christ
that died, made satisfaction; nay rather, that is risen again, then
he comes oif ; and the coming off of Christ himself from the sins
he bore, was that which gives discharge unto believers, that now
nothing can be laid to them ; but still /^e is risen, is as much as
to say, Christ is now come off himself, but he was not before he
was risen ; and by this he being secured from sin, we are secure
in him.
Now let us come to some application, to see how near we can
bring this home, to satisfy and bring rest to a weary loaden
spirit.
The use that I shall make of this point of God's laying, and
the reality of passing over iniquity upon Christ, and desire
every one of you to make with me, shall be this ; only to press
upon vou a necessary and infallible inference that follows upon
* At the resurrection of Christ there was indeed a fresh declaration of his sonship,
his almighty power being exerted in the raising himself, Rom. i. 4. And so the
begetting of Christ as a son is applied to his resurrection, Acts xiii. 33 ; as it may be
to any time, act, or instance, in which his divine power as the Son of God is displayed ;
but that there was any redintecrration, or renewing of his sonship, or a begetting him
anew as a son, cannot be safely said : Christ, indeed, during his state of humiliation
was in the form of a servant, and so was considered by his Father, and his divine son-
ship was little seen by men, yea by some he was charged with blasphemy for asserting
it, and was put to death for it; the reproach of which blasphemy was wiped off by his
resurrection ; but his divine Father always considered him as his Son, and more than
once, in that state, declared him to be so ; and Christ in his last, moments commended
his Spirit into the hands of God as his Father ; wherefore if the Dr.'s meaning is, as
some take it, that he was for a time abdicated by his Father, and as it were disowned
as his Son, and upon his resurrection embraced again as such, I think he must be
mistaken.
296 SIN TRANSACTED REALLY UPON CHRIST.
it ; and that is this, if the Lord hath laid iniquity upon Christ,
then whosoever thou art to whom the Lord will be pleased to
give the believing of this truth, that thine iniquity is laid upon
him, that is an absolute and full discharge to thee ; so that there
neither is, nor can be, any for the present, or hereafter, laid to
thy charge, let the person be who he will ; if the Lord, I say
again, give to any to believe this truth, that it is his iniquity he
hath laid upon Christ, God himself cannot charge any one sin
upon him.
Mark well, I beseech you, beloved, Rom. viii. 33, and ponder
it a little, and see whether God himself can charge iniquity upon
any, when once laid upon Christ.
He begins with triumph, with a great deal of magnanimity of
spirit, " Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect?"
Who? may some say, he against whom the elect have trans-
gressed ? No, (saith the apostle) " It is God that justifieth.
who shall condemn ?" I pray mark it a little : understand
rightly what it is for God to justify : to justify a person, is to
discharge him from such a fault, or crime, that may be objected
against him : suppose a man actually to be arraigned, it may be
for twenty bills of indictment; upon the examination of all
these, peradventure nineteen of them are manifestly false, the
man is clear of all of them ; but the twentieth he is found guilty
of, and upon examination he is found to be faulty ; whether now
doth the judge justify, or pronounce this person just, or no,
where there is one fault that can be charged upon him ? he must
be clear of every fault, before he can be pronounced just.
When the Lord justifies any person whatsoever, his justification
is pronouncing his innocence ; if he be criminal, he is not just,
and if he be just, he is not criminal. To say that a person is
just, and yet to say he is now criminal when he is just, is a con-
tradiction ; to pronounce a person just, is to pronounce him
wholly innocent and clear from crime. Now then, if to justify a*
person, is to pronounce him clear from any crime, where is the
iniquity that can be laid to thy charge, being a just person, as
every believer is? Doth God now charge any thing upou thy
spirit ? if he doth, he doth in this pronounce thee an unjust
person : and if he pronounce thee unjust, he doth not justify
thee; for to justify, and yet to charge with a fault, is a contra-
diction ; so that from the time the Lord justifies any person, b«.
SIN TRANSACTED REALLY UPON CHRIST. 297
charges no sin ever after that upon him : except you will say,
he once justifies men, and then unjustifies them again. How many
justifications must we then make in the life of a believer, if sins
committed be charged upon the spirit of the man himself? As
often as sin is committed anew, there is a revocation of a former
justification, and a turning of that into an unjustification of him
again : for though it be generally received, that sanctification is
a successive act, that is, God sanctifies us again and again, more
and more ; yet, that justification is an act of God at once, and
the application, or giving of Christ to a person, is the justifica-
tion of him : a man's justification, therefore, being but one act
of God, how can it be successive ? How much less can it be
revoked, and a justified person stand afterwards unjustified ?
The apostle makes it so clear, that there can be no question made
against it ; " It is God that justlfieth, who shall condemn ?" As
much as to say, the same God that justifies, will not pass sen-
tence of condemnation upon one that hath received the sentence
of absolution already. No, you will say, God doth not con-
demn ; but yet he will let sin be charged upon the spirit of a
man ; doth not he then sentence him to be unjust ?
There be divers condemnations ; condemnation in sentence, and
in execution. Condemnation in sentence, is a pronouncing of
such a person guilty. You know, it is an ordinary course at the
trial of a man at the bar, he is condemned when he is pronounced
guilty. Now the other condemnation, which is the execution of
punishment deserved for guilt, is but the effect of condemnation,
rather than that itself. So far as God charges fault upon a per-
son, so far he condemns him ; so, that if God should charge a
man as faulty, how can you believe still that he is pronounced
just by him 1
I beseech you, beloved, stop your ears against all these quirks
of Satan, and of your own deceived hearts by him, clamouring
still to you, that sin lies yet upon you, and upon your own
spirits. ' It is but the voice of a lying spirit in your own hearts,
that saith, that you that are believers have yet sin wasting your
consciences, and lying as a burthen too heavy for you to bear* ;
* This is a passage that is excepted to, hut without just cause. It is true, -ricTeel,
sin sometimes lies upon the conscience of a believer, as a burden too heavy for him to
bear as on David, and sadly wastes the conscience, that is, destroys the peace of it;
but to what is this owins? To unbelief, which is no other than the voice of a lying
tp'rit, it gives Ood the li^ and deceives the hearts of his people, I John v. 10, Heh,
iii. I'i ; it is so when it tells believers their sins arc upon themselves, and must bo b(.r.i
298 SIN TRANSACTED REALLY UPON CHRIST.
I say, all the weight, the burthen, the very sin itself, is long ago
laid upon Christ ; and that laying of it upon him is a full dis-
charge and a general acquittance unto thee, that there is not any
one sin now to be charged upon thee. How can these two pro-
positions stand together, thy sin is laid upon Christ, and yet lies
upon thee ? If God himself say it lies upon thee, and withal
says, he before laid it upon Christ, how much is this better than
a contradiction ? But many will be ready to object, and this
seems to be a very strong one :
Was not David a justified person, and did not he bear his
own sin, though he was justified ? " My sins are gone over my
head, they are a burden too heavy for me to bear :" and so many
of God's people make the like complaint ; by this it seemeth,
though a person be justified, though his sins be laid upon Christ,
yet he himself bears the weight of them.
I answer, I am not ignorant, beloved, that this objection seems
to some to be unanswerable, and no marvel, till light breaks out
of darkness to clear the truth.
First, I would fain know, whether now, under the times of the
gospel, there be not many tender-hearted religious people that
cry out of their own sins, and of the weight and burthen of them
upon their spirits, as well as David ? I must tell you, all that
he speaks here, is from himself, and all that he spake from him-
self was not truth* : take that passage of his, " Hath the Lord
forgotten to be gracious ? hath he in anger shut up his tender
mercies ? and will he be favourable no more ? I have washed my
hands in vain," Did David speak well in these passages, to
charge God that he had forsaken him for ever, and that he will
never be gracious more, and I have washed my hands in inno-
bj' them, though hmg ago, as the Dr. observes, laid on Christ with all their weight ,
and that the wrath of God is upon them, and they ought to suiFer distress and an-
guish in their souls for them, though their consciences have been purged by the blood
of Chiist.
* Here a great charge is brought, but without reason; every thing that a good man
says of himself, and of the dealings of God with him, is not true ; he only speaks ac-
cording to his present apprehension of things, through a misguided conscience, and
the power of unbelief, as David, Psalm xxxi. 22. And so Asaph, whom the Doctor
through mistake calls David, and who himself acknowledges it was his infirmity to say
whftt he did. Psalm Ixxvii. 7 — 10, and Ixxiii. 13 — -IS; and as the church, Isaiah xl.
27, and xlix. 14, 15, 16. And under a like mistake David seems to be in the passage
under consideration. Psalm xxxviii. 1 — 4; for it is plain he thought God was rebuking
him in his wrath, and chastening him in his sore displeasure, which he deprecates ;
and what the Dr. afterwards observes, that there was something peculiar in his case,
agreeable to the then dispensation of things, which required he should bear his sins
til] a sacrifice was offered, is not to be despised.
SIN TRANSACTED REALLY UPON CHRIST. 299
cency in vain? Did David (I say) speak well to charge God
thus ? If a weak believer complain, that makes not every thing
a truth he complains of. David might mistake, that God should
charge his sin upon him ; and, it may be, he might charge his
sin upon himself, without any warrant or commission from God.
But we will go a little further ; suppose we grant David did
indeed bear the weight of his own traiisgressions, and it was ac-
cording to the will and pleasure of God, he having sinned, that
he himself should bear it ; and suppose we grant, that while he
did bear it he was a justified person, according to the covenant
of grace, God made with him ; yet it will not follow from hence
that this instance of David should be a precedent to believers
under the times of the gospel. I will clear a mystery unto you,
though I have spoken elsewhere something of it ; and I will clear
it from the apostle himself in the epistle to the Hebrews ; there
is a great deal of difference between the times of David, and of
the gospel, and that in particular of a man bearing his own sin.
David was under a covenant of grace, and Christ was the sub-
stance of it ; and so he had remission of sins, but with such a
great diiference, that the case is marvellously altered by Christ
himself : it is true, when David sinned there was a sacrifice for
his sin ; and it is as true, there was no remission to be found, till
the performance of it ; " And they shall bring their sacrifice to
the priest, and he shall make atonement for them, and their sins
shall be forgiven them," Numb. xv. 28. Here is forgiveness of
sins, but they must bear their sins till their sacrifice was offered;
now the sin of David might lie upon himself till he had per-
formed his sacrifice, because there was no remission to be found
till that was oflTered ; now it is too probable that David, concealing
his sin so long as he did, made no great haste to bring a sacrifice
for it, and till that was offered there was no remission. Again,
suppose his particular sacrifice was offered, yet that could not
make those that came to it perfect : in Heb. x. 6, and ix. 9, speak-
ing of those sacrifices, the apostle saith, that they were but a
" Figure for the present ;" and that it was impossible that those
gifts and sacrifices should make perfect the comers thereunto ; to
wit, they that did the service could not thereby be made perfect :
the truth is, though there was some remission, and so conse-
|uently some peace, upon the offering of those sacrifices, yet,
something was left behind, for which there was a yearly sacrifice
300' SIN TRANSACTED REALLY UPON CHRIST,
to take away ; even among the people of the Jews, under their
covenant of grace which they had ; which, though it were such
a covenant, yet had not the large grants and charters that we
have, now Christ is come ; though they had remission of sins, yet
it was successive, and admitted of intermissions and stops ; sins
committed before the sacrifice was offered, were remitted by it ;
but no sins committed after it, had any remission by the former
sacrifice, but must stay for it till another succeeded : and from
hence it appears, since there was a reiterating of sin, they had
always some sin or other still lying upon their persons, because
there was a successive offering up of new sacrifices. David com-
plains of bearing his own sins ; the reason is this, all the sacri-
fice he could make use of could not make his conscience perfect ;
as it is plain in Heb. ix. 9, " It could not make the comers there-
unto perfect :" so that though sin did lie upon David till such
sacrifice took them away, yet it doth not follow under the gospel,
since Christ's coming, that sin should lie any time upon the
spirit of a believer in Christ, Why so ? will you say ; I answer, the
apostle tells us, concerning Christ himself, that he is " become
the mediator of a better covenant ;" wherein better ? will you say.
I answer briefly, in this regard, " He is able to save to the ut-
termost them that come to God by him ;" as you have it in Heb,
vii. 25; mark it, there is the difference; the sacrifices wherein
the remission of sins was received, " could not make the comers
thereto perfect," but Christ being come, " He saves to the utter-
most them that come to God by him :" Look into Heb. x, 14,
there you shall find wherein the main difference lies, " By one
sacrifice," saith the apostle, (speaking of Christ offering him-
self) " he hath perfected them that are sanctified :" the difference
is this, Christ being once come, the sacrifice of his own body had
such a fulness of satisfaction in it, that there never needed any
more to be done to the end of the world, for the taking away of
any sin ; but all manner of sins, of all believers, to the end of
the world, were at once taken away by that sacrifice, and that
for ever.
So that now a believer is not to wait till a new sacrifice be
performed, that he might bo discharged from such and such a
sin ; but as soon as ever he hath committed it, he hath " the
Lamb of God" in his eye, " that takes away the sins of the
world;" that hath already taken away this very sin, at this very
SIN TRANSACTED REALLY UPON CHRIST. »01
instant committed. Beloved, consider well of it, either Christ
hath taken away all sin already, or one of these two things must
needs follow ; either the believer himself is to bear his own sin»
or Christ is to come again, and do something more to take away
that which remains behind : I say, if all sin be not taken away by
what is done already, there must be somewhat done to take is
away; but, saith the apostle, in Heb. x. 26, " There remains
now no more sacrifice for sin." In vain do men now look for
something else, to come to take away this and that transgression ;
for there remains no more sacrifice for sin; that one sacrifice did
all that was ever to be done, and therefore there is no more to
follow : if therefore all be done by Christ that is to be done, to
make " perfect the comers \mto him," and " to save them to the
uttermost;" then all the sins that believers now commit, or
hereafter shall commit, nay, all the sins that all the believers to
the end of the world shall commit, are already laid upon Christ, he
hath nailed them to his cross. Therefore, saith the apostle, in
1 John i. 7, " The blood of Jesus Christ his son cleanseth us
from all sin."
And whereas some may be ready to say, That this passage,
that the Lord hath laid the iniquity of us all upon him, is not
peculiar unto these times now, after Christ's coming ; for it
seems the prophet Isaiah did proclaim the mind of the Lord in
particular, before Christ himself came in person.
To this I answer, that all the prophets' passages concerning
the fulness of grace to come by Christ, though they were spoken
by them in their time ; yet had reference to future times, after
Christ's coming, and had not reference, in respect of their
fulness, to those times wherein they spake: for the clearing of
this, I shall desire you to consult a few words that Peter hath,
being most full and clear to this purpose as can be desired,
1 Pet. i. 9, 10, 11, " Receiving the end of your faith, even the
salvation of your souls." Here he speaks of the perfect fulness
that comes by Christ, that is, salvation; " of which salvation the
prophets have enquired, and searched diligently, who prophesied
of the grace that should come unto you, when they testified
beforehand of the sufferings of Christ, and of the glory that
should follow ; unto whom,"' that is unto the prophets, " it was
revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us, they did minister
the tilings tliat are now reported unto you by them that preached
302 SIN TRANSACTED REALLY UPON CHRIST.
the gospel unto you." The apostle says olainly, " they diligently
searched" into the times wherein those things they then pro-
phesied of should come to pass ; and that they did not preach
them to themselves, and that they did not administer these things
unto themselves, but to us ; I say, therefore, still Christ vf&s the
foundation of the covenant they had, and remission of sins was a
fruit of it ; but their covenant took not all their sins away ; some
were upon them for the time, which was the cause of their
complaint : but Christ now hath taken all our sins away, that we
are become incomparably perfect ; and not only perfect in
respect of sin to be charged on us, being passed from us upon
Christ, but also our very consciences are acquitted : for, saith the
apostle, speaking of the consciences of God's people under the
gospel, in respect of the full discharge from sin, in Heb. x, 22,
" Therefore (having spoken so largely of the remission of sins,
upon which there remains no more sacrifice) we may come with
boldness to the throne of grace with a true heart, and full assur-
ance of faith." Upon what ground ? Having our hearts purged
or sprinkled from an evil conscience.
O let not therefore, beloved, I beseech you, any objection or
objectors in the world, take you off from standing fast in that
liberty wherein Christ hath made you free, and do not again
entangle yourselves with such yokes of bondage, that neither you
nor your fathers were able to bear.
If the ceremonies of the Jews were so weighty, and such
yokes of bondage, what are the sins of people lying upon them ?
Beloved, you may search and enquire into many ways to find
rest to your souls while they are disquieted ; but if your
hearts are rightly enlightened, and really tender, all the ways in
the world shall never give rest to the sole of your foot, nor the
least comfort to your spirits, till you find rest upon this one
principle, that the Lord hath discharged all your sins, and will
remember no one sin against you ; till, I say, you can behold a
general release, all the whole force crossed, and God discharging
you from every filthiness, there can be no rest to your spirits.
Is there one sin upon you? that one sin will prove so heavy a
pressure on you, that you shall never be able to endure it, espe-
cially when the Lord shall let you see what the fearful weight of
any one sin is ; but if you can receive this principle, that
every sin you have committed, or shall commit^ is cast upon the
SIN TRANSACTED REALLY UPON CHUIST. 303
Lord Christ, and carried away ; that you shall never hear again
of anv Oi them, in regard of accusation from God, or in regard of
just accusation from your own spirits, then shall your souls return
to their rest: but if you be not fully settled upon this principle,
that the Lord hath so taken away every sin of every believer, that
there is not any one remaining, nor any one shall remain for God
to charge upon you, you can have none. Give me leave to bring
in a few passages of scripture, that will be so evident, that except
persons will wilfully resist the truth, they cannot but sit down
with this resolution of spirit, that all their sins are manifestly
taken from them, and they perfectly discharged of them. In
Psalm li. 7, David complains, and makes his address to God,
" Wash me," saith he, and what is the fruit of God's washing ?
" Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow." That God, when
he first enters into covenant with persons, washes them, is as clear
as the light : mark that in Ezek. xvi. 8, 9, 10, " When I passed
by thee, I entered into covenant with thee, and thou becamest
mine ; then washed I thee with water :" I say, when God enters
into covenant with his people, he washes them ; and, how doth
he wash them ? Doth he leave some spots, blemishes, and stains
behind ? No : " Wash me, (saith he,) and I shall be whiter than
snow." What blots can you find upon snow itself? there is
nothing clearer than snow; yea, saith the prophet, " I shall be
whiter than snow."
Look into Cant. iv. 7, see what an absolute discharge there is
to every one that is a member of Christ, and that is a present
one too ; it is not for hereafter ; " Thou art all fair my love, there
is no spot in thee :" it is not, thou shalt be all fair, or have no
spot in thee ; but thou art even now so ; so soon as thou art my
spouse, thou art fair : nay, " thou art all fair ;" nay, " there is
not any one spot in thee :" is this the voice of Christ, or not ?
Look into Isa. xliii. 25, you shall see what a full discharge is
given, " I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for
mine own name's sake, and will not remember thy sins."
Beloved, suppose a person before a judge be arraigned for
felony, and he that accuses him appeals to the judge himself,
saying. Do not you know that this man committed such a thing?
The judge saith, I remember no such thing ; now if no other
evidence comes in, is not the judge's not remembering any such
thing, a sufhcient discharge for him? The Lord saith, " I will
304 ' SIN TRANSACTED REALLV UPOX CHRIST.
not remember their sins;'' how then can he charge them upon
them, when he will not remember them ? Shall I come and witness
against a man, and say, he did steal, and is guilty of thelT, and
yet I never remember it ? The Lord doth not remember, there-
fore he doth not charge : nay, saith he, " I am he that blottetn
out thy transgressions :" now what is it to blot out a thing ?
Suppose there be a deed, or a bond, wherein a debt is chargeable
upon a man, and every line or letter of it are blotted out; how can
it be charged upon him, especially when the creditor himself hath
blotted it out? where can this be charged? " I, even I, am he
(saith the Lord) that blotteth out:" if any other besides the
creditor should blot out a debt, there were some cause left of
fear ; but if the creditor himself shall do it, what need the debtor
make any question of it? So if any creature in the world should
undertake to blot out sin but God, this might not hold good ; but
when he himself comes and blots it out, where is any charge that
can be laid upon him ? he cannot recall his own act again.
In Ezek, xxxvi. 25, you shall see what a full discharge is
given to believei's : " Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you,
and you shall be clean from all your filthiness, and from all your
idols will I cleanse you; a new heart will I give you, and a new
spirit will 1 put into you:" mark, what is that the Lord cleanses
from? " All filthiness:" even then, when he enters into cove-
nant, gives a new heart, becomes the God of a people, then he
sprinkles with clean water, and they are clean from all their
filthiness.
Look into Daniel ix, 23, 24, you shall find that the Lord
whispers a secret in the ears of Daniel, which he would make
him know was a fruit of the greatness of his love unto him : " I
am come to shew thee, for thou art greatly beloved, therefore
understand the matter, and consider the vision," or mystery:
what is that secret that God will impart unto him, as the greatest
expression of his love ? it is this ; " Yet seventy weeks are
determined upon thy people, and upon thy holy city ;" and what
is it that follows upon these seventy weeks ? (Mark the words I
qray) " To finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, and
to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting
righteousness." Neither transgression, nor sin were finished,
nor iniquity come to an end, nor everlasting righteousness
brought in, until the seventy weeks were ended ; but upon the
SIN TRANSACTTD REALLY UPON CHRIST, 305
determination of them, then came sin to be finished Mark the
words well, iniquity then came to an end, and then came in
everlasting righteousness. And ChVist seems to touch upon this
very prophecy, when it was accomplished upon the cross, " It is
finished," saith he : what is the meaning? what is finished ? sin
is finished ; for the speech hath reference unto the prophecy of
Daniel; not that his sufiering, but sin was finished; for he lay
in the grave till the third day afterward, and was under death,
but sin was finished according to that prophecy : now the seventy
weeks being fulfilled, what transgressions can you have upon
your consciences ? wherefore do you complain of so much of the
burthen of them, seeing that sin is finished ? If thy present
transgressions be not finished, at the seventy weeks end, by that
-ufiering of his, there is no truth in that of Daniel, sin is finished;
a thing is not finished, when there remains any thing to be done
about it ; if there remains some sins to be taken away, then sin is
not finished; but at the end of seventy weeks, sin was finished by
(/'iri'-V and came to an end.
I could instance in many other passages of scnp' re; it were
infinite to name them all : and such they are, as are more worthy
and more glorious, than all the treasures of the world. Any one;
of all these is a general discharge to every believer in the world.
But you will sa.y, do not believers commit sin now i
I answer. They commit transgression, but long before they did
it, it was paid for, and taken away; all the score is crossed,
even from the time that Christ bore the sins of many upon the
cross.
It is true, the Lord leaves the sins that believers act, leo'ible
still, though crossed : as when a man hath crossed his book, one
may read every particular sum, or debt, tlmt was formerly
written ; and though he may read them, yet it doth not follow
that they are debts, for the crossing of it takes away the nature of
the debt : God crossed the score when Christ died, and then it
was no more debt; all our sins, as a debt, were then finished;
only God will leave that, wliich was before a debt, fairly written
still, that we may read them, and see how many there are, and
what great sums they amount to ; that so we might have herebv
the clearer occasion, diligently to set forth the praise oS th'»
glory of that grace, that hath crossed such a score.
But some will be ready to say, yet once more, this kind o/
X
306' SIN TRANSACTED REALLY UPON CHRIST.
doctrine opens a wide gap to all manner of licentiousness. Li-
centiousness ! how sol You will say, if a person know, before
he bath committed his sin, that whatsoever he shall commit
afterwards, are already laid upon Christ, and there is no fear he
shall receive any damage by them ; who will not break out into
all manner of sins, that are so pleasing to men's corrupt natures,
when they know they can have no hurt by them,
1. I answer, Did not the Lord himself know what corrupt
inferences men would draw from grace revealed, and made to
appear ? Is it dangerous to preach the free grace of God, lest
men should draw licentious inferences from it 1
Where was the wisdom of God, that could not conceal these
truths, that are so dangerous to be published? Did the Lord,
and was he pleased, whatever danger might follow, to reveal the
truth so graciously, and shall we say, we must mince it, or
depress it, because some abuse it, and corrupt inferences are
made of it.
2. 1 answer, If it be truth the Lord hath revealed, that we
may, and shoidd publish it abroad unto men ; then we must
preach it, let the consequences be what they will.
But I answer further, there is no such danger from those to
whom this free grace is given, that they should make such corrupt
inferences : I do not deny, beloved, but that such as are rejectea
and given up of God, may make licentious uses of the doctrines
of grace, and the fulness of pardon by Christ ; but, who ever
said, that this fulness of grace, or any part of it, belongs to such
that are rejected 1 Do not we say, that believers are the only
persons on whom the Lord confers it, and to whom he gives to
receive it? Not that believing, in the act of it, is the eiBcient,
or confirmation, but the manifestation of it to them, that it
belonfys to them; as for others that are not believers, we do not
say their part is in it ; it may be in it, though they be not
now believers ; yet we cannot for the present say they have their
part in it, till they believe : though they do not now believe,
they may afterwards ; and whenever they do, that which betore
was hid, appears by believing.
I draw to an end : I say again, for believers, that the revela-
tion of the fulness of grace, and acquittance from sin, are so far
from opening a gap unto licentiousness of life ; that the truth is,
there is nothing in the world that raises up such a glorious saTi«'«
SIN TRANSACTED REALLY UPON CHRIST. 307
tifiod life, as to know the full deliverance of the soul from sin:
mark but what Zachariah saith, in Luke i. 74, 75, " That he
would grant unto us, that we, being delivered out of the hands of
our enemies, might serve him without fear, in holiness and
righteousness." It imports thus much unto us, that the serving
of God, without fear, is the fruit of a saint's deliverance from his
enemies, from sin : the more we believe that sin is already passed
and L-arried away, the more shall we serve him without fear ;
therefore. Solomon speaks excellently, " The righteous are bold
as a lion ;" those that are once sure^ in respect of God and their
own souls, adventure upon any thing he calls them out unto ;
miscarry, or not miscarry, it is all one with them, for all stands
right between God and them. While men know not whether
their sins are passed away, and themselves discharged, and that
there is no danger in respect of them, how many duties that God
calls them to, do they baulk ? and how many sufferings, for the
cause of God, are they ready to shrink from, before they have the
assurance of the pardon of their sins ? The apostle tells us,
" That the grace of God," his loving-kindness and favour, " that
brings salvation, hath appeared;" what is the fruit? Are we
saved by grace ? Then may we live as we list ? may some say.
No ; " this grace, that brings salvation, teaches us to deny
ungodliness and worldly lusts ; and to live, soberly, righteously,
and godly in this present world." However others may turn the
grace of God into wantonness, yet believers, who have received
this mercy, and assurance thereof, to have all their sins cast upon
Christ, cannot sin in this kind: and why not? " They are born
of God, (saith St. John) and they cannot sin, because the seed of
God abides in them ;" or as the apostle expresseth it more fully
thus, " We are kept by the power of God, through faith, unto
salvation," 1 Pet. i. 5. It is most certainly true, indeed, corrupt
nature, having no bridle to restrain it from sin, but only the sour
sauce that follows, take away that, corrupt nature will break out.
But, beloved, take the believer saved by grace, and delivered
from all his sins, he hath another principle over-ruling in his
spirit, and that is the seed of God in him ; and this so over-rules
him, that he hath not that maw (as we use to say) as he had
when corrupt nature had power over him.
But, you will say, then is this ground of presumption ; now
many thousands will run into it, upon this doctrine delivered 2
x2
308 SIN TRANSACTED RhAUA' UPON CHRIST.
I answer, Understand presumption well ; consider what it is,
and then you shall see how vain the objection is. What is it ?
It is no more but this, promising to myself any great thing
without any good ground : if I promise myself, such a man will
give me an hundred pounds, and he never said so, and I have
no ground to think so, this is presumption ; but, if a man en-
gages himself to give me so much, is it presumption in me to
expect it, though I pay nothing for it 1 So here, if so be that
the discharge from all sin at once were without any ground, it
were presumption to build upon it; but if the Lord hath, as you
have heard, published all this to the world, of his grace to his
own people, what presumption is it to build upon so sure a found-
ation as the word of grace 1 God himself must change before
this bottom, whereupon the foot of a believer stands, shall sink.
But, you will say, though there be this free grace and full dis-
charge of sin, Christ taking sin upon himself, yet it doth not
belong to licentious persons, therefore it should not be published
so generally as men preach it.
I answer, who is it for ? Is it for the righteous, or for the
wicked ? " I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to re
pentance," saith our Saviour ; that is, to turn and come to me.
It is not for ihe whole, they need not the 'physician, but the sick.
In brief, beloved, mai'k but the tenor of the gospel, and you shall
see who they are to whom the free grace of God is tendered ;
" Ifj while we were enemies, (saith Paul) Christ died for us,
how much more shall we be saved by his life ?" Now, I will
ask, whether is the free grace of God delivered to the enemies
of Christ, considered as such, or no ? " When I saw thee pol-
luted in thy blood, I sware unto thee, and I spread my skirt over
thee, and entered into covenant with thee, and thou becamest
mine," and all this in blood, " Then washed I thee with water;"
when ? after he had sworn, and entered into covenant, and spread
his skirt over them. To whom, beloved, doth this entrance into
the free covenant belong ? Why, to persons in their blood be-
fore their washing ; for washing follows entering into covenant :
" In due time," saith the apostle, " Christ died for the ungodly :"
and, in Rom. iv. 5, it is expressed thus ; " Now to him that
worketh not, but to him that believeth on him that justifieth the
ungodly, his faith is imputed to him for righteousness." It is
tlie ungodly that God justifieth, and who is he ? the ungodly that
SIN TRANSACTED REALLY UPON CHRIST. 309
doth not work : " Not of him that willeth, nor of him that run-
neth, but of God that sheweth mercy." Now, then, to wbom
should we preach the free grace of God, and discharge from all
sin, but to those to whom the Lord reaches it out 1 But you will
say, doth it belong to all 1 I answer, it belongeth not to all, but
to every ungodly man under heaven, to whom God will give to
believe and receive this truth ; " He came to his own, and his
own received him not ; but as many as received him, to them
he gave power to become the sons of God, even to as many as
believed in his name." The truth is, it is a secret in the bosom
of the Lord himself, to whom the grace belongs ; " And secret
things belong unto God, but things revealed belong to us and
our children ;" wherefore we are to publish it to particular per-
sons ; and to every one to whom the Lord gives to believe, this
grace belongs : for, when he believes * it, it is manifest to him
that his full portion is in it, let his conversation be what it will
before.
I speak not this to bolster any man in any manner of wicked-
ness ; for, when the Lord gives faith, he will certainly change
the heart, and that will work by love : this, I say, that when
God is pleased to make a person so to see his own sin and emp-
tiness, as to reach after the grace of God in Christ, there is not
a soul that believes in Christ, and reaches after him, that pos-
sibly can miscarry ; " Him that comes to me, I will not cast
off;" no one that believeth. There is not one soul under heaven,
but if the Lord gives him to come, and receive this grace, and
not reject it, (let his sins be what they will) there is a present
participation ; nay more, there is a present manifestation to him
in special, that all the grace of the gospel is his. And so much
for this time.
• Rcb. si, 1 i Rom. ▼. t.
310 TO LAY OUR SINS ON CHRIST,
SERMON XX.
TO LAY OUR SINS ON CHRIST, IS THE LORD's
PREROGATIVE ONLY.
ISAIAH liii. 6.
AND THK LORD HATH LAID ON HIM THE INIQUITY OF US ALL.
I HAVE made entrance formerly in some other place (as some
nere present peradventure know) upon the words that I have
now read unto you. The whole mystery of the gospel, in the
excellency of it, is summed up in them, and in what goes imme-
diately before ; even those excellencies, which, though the pro-
phets spake of before, yet it was revealed unto them, " That not
unto themselves, but unto us these things were particularly in-
tended," concerning this glorious gospel ; the whole complete-
ness of the people of God, from the first rise of it to the consum-
mation of it, with all the steps and degrees to it, is comprised in
this text. And lest any should boast of himself when he shall
partake of the glory of this grace, the Lord is pleased to lay down
a caveat in the beginning of it, " All we, like sheep, have gone
astray, we have turned every man to his own way :" this is the
best we are, and m this condition the Lord hath laid on him the
iniquity of us all ; that so all the world may know, even the best
of men, that not for their own righteousness, doth the Lord do
this to them, or for them.
But I must not dwell upon particulars, which I have formerly
delivered upon this subject. I will lead you by the hand, and
point out what I have passed through, that so we may make a
more orderly progress. Every word in this text hath so much
weiMit in it, that each word contains a great latitude and im-
menseness in it of the grace of God to us.
1. It is iniquity itself that the Lord hath laid upon Christ; not
only our punishment, but our very sin.
IS THE LOUD's PREROwATIVE ONLY. 311
2. And that this transaction of our sins to Christ is a real act ;
our sins so became Christ's, that he stood the sinner in our stead,
and we discharged.
3. That which remains yet to be considered is another branch,
shooting out of this tree of life, for so I may call this text ; and
that is drawn from the efficient of this great grace of laying our
iniquities upon Christ ; it is the Lord himself that is the agent ;
he himself hath done this thing; " The Lord hath laid on him
the iniquity of us all." As Satan hath cast a mist over other
glorious branches of the gospel, so he hath endeavoured to cast
very darkness itself over this truth, namely, " That this is the
Lord's own act." It is true, Satan is contented to allow men
general and gross notions of it, that our iniquities are disposed
of by the Lord ; but when there shall be a thorough searching
into particulars concerning this truth, then he bestirs * himself,
even to raise contradictions against what men, in general, will
grant. The truth is, beloved, it is hardly received of men, and
very rare it is, to let the Lord himself be the sole and only agent
in laying our iniquity upon Christ ; and yet if it were not he
alone that did it, all the creatures in the world would break their
backs with heaving at iniquity to lay it upon him. And assu-
redly, beloved, let any man take any other course in the world,
putting the work of laying iniquity upon any other, but tlie Lord
alone, he shall never effect it, he shall never lay it upon Christ ;
the point therefore that I shall deliver, is briefly this.
It is the Jjord, it is he singly, he exclusively, he only and alone,
and none hut he, that layeth iniquity upon Christ.
There is nothing in the world can do this but the Lord. Nay,
I will go further. There is nothing in the world moves, per-
suades, or prevails with him, to lay our iniquity upon Christ :
the Lord is so alone the founder, and author, or agent in this
work, that he is moved and stirred up only by himself to do it ;
and nothing in the world moves him to do it but himself
For the clearing of this truth, give me leave to dive a little into
it, and I shall only desire this justice at your hands, that the ma-
nifestation and evidence of scripture, may carry your judgments
without prejudice ; I say, for the clearing of it, I shall dive into
these particulars.
The Lord is so the sole agent, in laying our iniquities upon
• John viii. 44.
312- ' TO LAY OUR SINS ON CHRIST,
Christ, that even Christ himself doth not lay them upon himself;
nay, I must go yet further, the Lord himself doth so, of and from
himself, without regard to any motive whereby he might be per-
suaded to lay our iniquities upon Christ ; that Christ himself is
not the first motive to the Lord to do this thing : I say again,
Christ is not the mover, or persuader of the Lord unto it ; but
the Lord merely from himself simply, as he is the Lord God,
moved and prevailed with himself alone to lay our iniquities upon
him. And yet, beloved, this will be no derogation to Christ at
all, but will only constitute him in his own true and proper office
as he is the mediator ; for according to that offi,ce we speak of
him here. I say. It is not Christ himself that lays our iniquities
upon himself: it is true, Christ doth many admirable things
about iniquity being laid upon him ; " He takes away the sins
of the world ; he bears the sins of many ; he is made sin for us ;'*
but you shall no where find, that Christ laid upon himself the
sins of man : he himself was as careful that his Father should not
be robbed of his own glory, as that his people may be saved
by his righteousness ; all along you shall still find that Christ
is so far from making this taking of iniquity his own original act,
that he still acknowledges, that bearing it was not only for the
pleasure of his Father, but also in subjection unto him, and in
obedience to his command : observe but that expression of Christ
himself, in Heb. x. 5, 6, you shall plainly perceive, that Christ
doth not lay iniquity upon himself, but according to the charge
of his Father, he is contented to take what he layeth upon him ;
" In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin, thou hast no pleasure;
then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written
of me, to do thy will, O God ; thy law is written in my heart,"
saith Christ there, " A body hast thou prepared for me,'' thou
hast fitted a body for me, " thou ha^st bored mine ears," &c.
Out of these expressions 1 will observe this to you : 1. That the
main discourse of Christ here, hath reference to the taking away
of the sins of men ; for, in the beginning of the chapter, you
shall find how the apostle hath distinguished between the weak-
ness of the Jewish rites concerning remission of sins^ and the
efficacy of Christ's sacrifice for the perfecting of it. In these
services there was a remembrance of sin every year ; " Because
it was impossible that the blood of bulls and goats should take
a'vay sio " F or this cause Chiiat comes into the world. To what
IS THE lord's PRER0C>ATIVE ONLY. 313
purpose? To do that which those sacrifices could not do, to
take away sin perfectly; but by what authority came Christ?
Doth he come of his own head ? Doth he of himself take the sin
upon himself? No, beloved, he doth not; " In the volume of
the book (saith Christ) it is written of me," or as it is in the
original, " in the head of the book it is written of me ;" As if
he had said, in thy book it is written, as a chief head or matter ;
remission of sins is ascribed unto me as a business committed
unto me, or passed over to me.
But it may be by way of courtesy, some may say.
I answer, Mark well the meaning of that place, Christ saith,
*' Thy law is in my heart;" so then it seems this book which
contains this business of Christ, about the remission of sins, is a
book that runs in the strain of a law upon him, or unto him ; so
that m the business of bearing the sins of men, Christ was so far
from taking it upon himself, to lay their iniquities upon him-
self, that he acknowledges he was under a law in this thing ; nay,
Secondly, See that it was the Lord's own business that Christ is
sent about ; for he tells us expressly, that the Lord every way
furnishes him to this work : " A body hast thou prepared me,"
or fitted for me ; and all to shew that Christ is in a manner
passive about the business of taking off iniquity ; he doth not
take it upon himself, but only bears it, being laid on by the
commission, nay the hand of God himself And therefore, in
Heb. v. 9, the apostle tells us expressly. That " though Christ
were a Son, yet learned he obedience :" and in John x. 18,
Christ saith, " I have power to lay down my life, and to take it
up again, and no man can take it away from me ;" in which he
may seem to be his own mover, and that he doth it of himself to
bear the sins of men ; yet afterwards he shews plainly, that he
speaks this not at all in reference to his father, but in reference
to the creature : no man takes it away from him indeed, but in
reference to the Father, he saith, " This commandment have I
received from my father, that 1 should lay down my life." That
no man should take away my life, that is true indeed, but that I
should lay it down : and in John xv. 13, our Saviour calls out
his disciples upon a service of the Lord, from an argument of his
own obedience ; " As I have kept my Father's commandment,
and abide in his love, so if you keep my commandment, ye shall
abide in my love." By all which exi>ressionsyou may perceive, that
314 TO LAY OUR SINS ON CHRIST,
Christ, as he stands the mediator and bearer of the sins of men,
stands as one lookinsr still for his commission, when the Lord
himself will lay their iniquities on him ; he doth not of himself,
and of his own accord, lay them on himself : and therefore the
apostle to the Hebrews, saith expressly, " No man taketh this
office upon himself, but he that is called of God, as Aaron was."
What office was that ? The office of the priesthood to bear the
sins of men ; and he speaks of Christ himself in this place, that
he did not take this upon himself; but waited till the Lord was
pleased to lay the load upon him, and then he laid his shoulders
under it : it is true, God's laying iniquity upon Christ was not
by compulsion ; but there was a voluntary agreement ; it was the
agreement of a son to a father, that keeps his authority and
power in this business; Christ is but the mediator; he comes
between as he is chosen the umpire.
But if any shall say. Though Christ doth not lay the iniquities
of men upon himself, yet surely he moves and persuades the
Father to lay them upon him.
I answer. This is received for a general truth, that what the
Lord doth about the discharge of a believer's sin, he doth all
upon the motives Christ put him upon, by that prevalency that
he hath with him ; but, beloved, you shall find this, that in all
Christ's discourse, he very frequently puts off many things from
himself, and gives them to his Father; and therefore he saith
expressly, " That of himself he doth nothing, but as he hears
so he speaks." It is true, that the Lord hath given to Christ the
pre-eminence in all things, as he by whom alone he works all
good in the world to the sons of men ; but he hath not given
Christ this pre-eminence, to be the first mover of him to do that
good to men that he doth : the Lord himself is the fountain of his
own motives, and is moved simply, and only from himself, to do
that good that he doth to the sons of men. And that it may
appear plainly to you, that Christ was not the first mover of the
Father to dispose of the sins -of men upon himself, observe but
this one thing, what was the motive that Christ himself should
have such a being as he had, to wit, of mediatorship? Was not
Christ himself given unto the world to be the Saviour of men?
How could he be a motive to the Father to give him a being to
move him, before he himself had a being to move withal ? There
must therefore be a love boiling in the Father to the sons of men,
IS THE lord's prerogative ONLY. 315
that must stir him up to give Christ to be their Saviour, or else
he could not have come into the world. If therefore the love of
God to men, was the first mover of himself to give Christ to
them, how could he be the mover of the Father, that he should
be given to them, since it was the good pleasure of the Father,
that Christ should be ? It is true, indeed, Christ is the mover of
the Father to execute all the good pleasure of his to the sons of
men : but he is not the mover of him first to love them ; the
thoughts of God were from himself towards men. Noav, because
that " mercy and truth might meet together, and righteousness
and peace might kiss each other," which only Christ could
compass, therefore was he sent of God into the world, to make
up whatsoever might conduce to the accomplishment of his love.
When God first cast his love upon men, and saw their transgres-
sions must be satisfied for, that justice might not be violated,
that mercy might not swallow up justice, nor justice might not
trample upon, nor devour mercy; therefore there must be
satisfaction made, that justice might have its own right : for this
cause Christ was sent into the world as a medium, or means,
whereby the love that God had formerly set upon the sons of men,
might have its free course without interruption.
Peradventure, beloved, this discourse may seem somewhat vain
and impertinent, that God himself should be his own mover to
lay the iniquities of the sons of men upon the body of Christ ;
but now by that which follows you shall see, that it is of great
concern ; for if Christ himself did not lay our iniquities upon
himself, and if he did not move the Father primarily to lay them
upon him, how much less could we, and any thing we could do,
attain to that height to lay them upon him ? I know that all will
be ready to grant, that Christ is greater with the Father than all
the things in the world ; and if any thing were able to move him
to lay the iniquities of men upon Christ, he were able to do most
in this matter ; if then Christ himself doth not lay our iniquities
upon himself, all that we can do, or are, cannot possibly do it.
There is a great mistake (and I suppose it is out of ignorance,
for lack of diving into the bottom of the gospel) among men, I
mean, among tender-hearted godly people, those that are deeply
wrought upon ; and a conceit it is that is deeply rooted in their
spirits, that some performances of their own must lay their
inipuities unon Christ. Suppose there be a sin committed, it
316 TO LAY OUR SINS ON CHRIST,
may be more scandalous than ordinary, which peradventure to
sense wounds the spirit ; the question now is, what it is tnat
must, or doth, rid such a one of the sting and guilt of this or
such like transgressions committed ? What discharges the soul
of such a sin ? Usually it is taught among us, by those who
would be accounted the greatest protestants, and haters of popery,
that the proportion of repentance, tears, sorrow, and fastings,
answerable to the latitude and height of such transgressions, is
that that gives ease ; this takes away the burthen, this lays the
soul at rest and quiets it : therefore when a soul hath transgressed,
if it be tender, most, or almost, all the pantings of it, are after
extraordinary enlargements in bitterness, heaviness, mourning,
melting, and tears ; these are accounted they that wash away
iniquity : but, beloved, let me tell you, it is impossible that all
the righteousness of men though it were more perfect than it can
be, should lay one iniquity, or the least circumstance of one,
upon Christ, If a man could weep his heart out, if it could melt
like wax, dissolve into water, and gush out rivers of tears for
sin ; all this could not carry away the least dram of the filthi-
ness of sin from such a soul unto Christ, nor unload the soul
of any sin to load him with it: therefore they do but deceive
themselves that ascribe the unloading and easing of their own
spirits, to the greatest enlargements in any performances in the
world ; Christ himself did not lay iniquity upon himself, much
less can the righteousness of any man lay it upon him. Look
upon the best of your righteousness, suppose the things men-
tioned already ; suppose a spiritualness in all that righteousness,
what can they do towards this, namely, unloading a man's own
spirit of his sin, and the loading of Christ with it ? Suppose the
righteousness you perform were perfect and complete, that God
himself could find no fault with it after any sin is committed ;
make the largest supposition that can be imagined ; when all
this is done, what can all this conduce to the taking away of sin
already committed? Do you not owe all this righteousness to
God, as you are under his command ? And if you owe it, then
the very payment of it is but the payment of his own debt ; and
how can the payment of this debt discharge for a former debt ?
Suppose a man oweth two hundred pounds, to be paid each at
six months, at two payments ; if he fails in the payment of the
first, and at the second day of payment pays one of the hundred
IS THE lord's prerogative onlv. 317
pounds, every penny of it, doth this balance the account ? doth
the payment of the last hundred pounds satisfy the whole debt ?
If he had paid the first and second hundred pounds, he had paid
but what was due ; can the second payment then be anv satis-
faction and furtherance to payment of the former debt ? No, not
at all. In whatever we have sinned, we have failed in the pay-
ment of that which was God's due ; and when we come to perform
any righteousness, that is his due too : if we had not failed in
the former, this latter is God's due too. this must have been
paid ; and when we perform any righteousness after sins com-
mitted, suppose it were perfect and complete, this doth but satisfy
its own debt, for God requires all this : and if it do but satisfy
its own debt, how can it discharge a former ?
Besides, beloved, how is it possible any righteousness of man
can lay iniquity upon Christ, when besides what we have
already said, there is new iniquity contracted against the Lord,
in all the righteousness that men perform ? This is an odd
payment of debts, by payment still to run more and more in
debt ; that our righteousness may acquit us of former trans-
gressions, and yet that itself contracts new transgression to. men,
making it more than it was before ; how can any man in ordi-
nary sense conceive this to be any way of discharge ?
But some will say. Though our performances do not lay our
iniquities upon Christ, yet they prevail with God, and move
him with pity towards us, and stir him up to take our iniquities
off from us, and lay them upon Christ: God cannot b;ii
melt, will some say, to see the tears of his people, the bittcr-
ness of their spirits, their crying, their earnestness, and their
sorrows ; these cannot but prevail with him to have compassion
on them.
I know this is the general conceit of too many in the world :
but, beloved, let me tell you, there is nothing in all creatures in
the world that hath the least prevalency with the Lord, let them
do what they can. All our prayers, tears, fastings, mournino-s
reluctancy, and fighting against our corruptions, move God not
a jot to lay our sins upon Christ; he is moved only from him-
self. If they move God, what must they move him to ? If he
be moved by any thing from man, he is moved accordino- io the
nature of the thing that is done; if the nature of the thino-
produce evil effects, God must be moved to do evil to men : if
318 ' TO LAY OUR SINS ON CHRIST,
good effects, if there be good in the things, they may move him
to good : now I ask, is there good or evil in any thing men do ?
when they have sinned, they pray, confess, mourn, and fast ; is
there evil or good in these, looked upon in their own nature ?
No man can deny, but that there is abundance of iniquity in the
best performances a man doth ; and " God is of purer eyes than
to behold iniquity." That which must move God to do good,
must have a goodness in itself; all the motive, therefore, in the
Lord is simply himself
And that it may appear manifestly unto us, that the Lord doth
not fetch motives from us, to lay our iniquities upon Christ, you
shall find through the whole current of the gospel, he takes a
time of laying them upon him, when all the world may see there
is no possibility that any creature should move him to do it.
Mark well, Rom. ix. 11, " The children being yet unborn,
before they had done good or evil, it was said, Jacob have I
loved, and Esau have I hated." Before Jacob had done either
good or evil, God's love was fastened upon him, to shew that
evil did not move him to reject, nor good persuade him to love :
while Jacob was in the womb God loved him, and what in him
did move him to love him ? he was conceived and born in sin,
as David confesseth of himself What should move God to
love Jacob, and to put away his transgression ? " That it might
be according to the purpose of election, not of him that worketh,
but of God that sheweth mercy." " When I saw thee polluted
in thy blood (Ezek. xvi. 8,) I spread my skirt over thee, and
entered into covenant with thee, and thou becamest mine."
Israel being now in blood, what was in him to persuade God to
swear to him, and to enter into covenant with him ? By blood,
he means the filthiness in the creature, and such that no eye
could pity it, when God first set his love upon it. " If while
we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his
son ;" mark the expression ; there was no distance between
being enemies and reconciliation : there was reconciliation even
while enemies. What motive is there in an enemy, while such,
to persuade reconciliation? " In due time Christ died for the
ungodly," saith the text. What motive can an ungodly man
use to persuade God to lay iniquity upon Christ, I say, consi-
dering him as ungodly ?
But you will say, this is a way, and a highway, to destroy all
li THE LOnD*S PREROGATIVE ONLY. 310
performances whatsoever. What, can they do nothing 1 to what
purpose should any man then fall upon any employment ?
Beloved, I am not ignorant how the apostle Paul himself was
slandered, when he preached the free grace of God, simply out
of his own bowels, without any motive from the creature, as if
he allowed and maintained continuance in sin, and breakino- out
into all manner of licentiousness, because grace abounded. I
believe it hath been a charge upon the ministers of the gospel,
ever since his time. Oh, if ministers preach the free grace of
God, and that what he doth, he doth for his own sake, then fare-
well all obedience and performances ; this opens a gap for all
manner of idleness ! Be not deceived, the Lord hath many spe-
cial ends, for which he hath set up a course of uprightness of
conversation in the world, though there be no stroke in them to
move him to shew mercy to them that walk thus uprightly; and
it is but the ignorance of men to think, that holiness in conver-
sation must presently fall to the ground, if it hath not a preva-
lency in it with God to do good to men. You know what the
apostle saith, EpL ii. 8,9, 10, " You are saved by grace through
faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God ; not of
works, lest any man should boast ; we are his workmanship,
created in Christ Jesus unto good works, that we should walk in
them."
A man would think that he contradicted himself; works have
nothing to do in man's salvation, nor move God to save ; " Not
of works," saitb he, " but of grace ;" yet " You are ordained
unto good works :" these stand well together. The apostle Paul
tells Titus, that men should " study good works, for these are
profitable unto men :" a man serves his generation, while he
walketh in good works, and he doth good to them among whom
he lives : he serves not himself in all the good works he doth •
for the Lord Christ hath fully served his turn already ; either we
must make our performances Christ's, or else we must disclaim
them : what pride and arrogance is this ! either men will rule the
roast, or else they will not abide in the house ! As every man
hath his office in a family, so every thing in man hath its office :
good works have very necessary offices in the family, but they
were never ordained to bj Christ's, much less to be God's.
When Christ was tempted by the Pharisees about tribute, he
makes this reply ;" Give unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's ;
S^Ot TO LAY OUR SINS ON CHRIST,
and unto God, the thinors that are God's." liSt not the right-
eousness of men encroach upon God, to take his work upon it-
self; J tell you, beloved, we know not the evil of these vain
imaginations. Should the Lord deal with you according to your
own hearts, that as your performances could lay your sins upon
Christ, and discharge you, so you should be discharged, when
would you ever do it ? when (alas I) instead of laying old sins upon
Christ by new performances, you do but add new sins to the old ;
all our righteousness, is but a renovation of new transgressions ;
" For all our righteousnesses," he speaks of every particular,
" are as filthy rags, and a menstruous cloth." Isaiah Ixiv. 5. Is
this the way to ease a man of his sin, or to get God to discharge
him of it, to throw dirt anew in his face ? Is this a way for a
traitor to get the king's pardon, to come into his presence, and
throw poison in his face again 1 There is not one righteous
action a man performs, but he therein anew throws dirt in the face
of God by it : because sin, as the Wise Man saith, " Is abomi-
nation to the Lord." Who knows the errors of his life, and the
multitude of his failings in the best righteousness he doth ? Man's
righteousness may serve his own turn, but not God's. Though
there be failings in our righteousness, it may be " profitable to
men ;" but as there is, the eyes of God cannot away with it.
But you will say again, Christ makes our righteousness to be
accepted and pleasing, by purging away all the filth that is in it ;
and then it may prevail with God, to lay our iniquities upon him.
I answer, it is true, Christ purges away all the filthiness, both
of righteousness and unrighteousness in believers ; but not that
their righteousness may prevail with God to lay iniquity upon
him ; but that it may be accepted in him, the beloved, as ser-
vices. He himself was without spot, or the least sin, yet he
takes not away iniquity by laying it upon himself; and if our
righteousness be made complete, by his taking away the filth of
it, and putting his own perfection on it; it is not that our iniqui-
ties may be laid upon him by it. but that it may be accepted by
way of service.
I should go yet one step higher, and let you know, that as it
is the Lord alone that lays iniquity upon Christ, so not only all
our performances are unable to do it, but even our faith itself
doth not do it : ye may easily perceive, beloved, what I drive at
in all this discourse, namely, to strip the creature stark naked
IS THE LORDS PREROGATIVE ONLY. 321
ft slut'tless, and unable any way to help itself, that all the
p tnat it receives may appear to be of the free grace of Go J,
merely, without its concurrence in it. I say-, therefore, it is not
the faith of believers that lays their iniquities upon Christ. Sup-
pose thou hast committed many sins, and they aTe apparent ;
• thou wouldst be rid of them, and hear of them no more ; what is
the way ? Works have not power to do it, you will say ; but
faith is able to discharge the soul from all transgressions, and
lay them upon Christ. But I must tell you, though God hath
given many glorious fruits and effects to faith, and made it in-
strumental of much excellent and abundant consolation to his
people ; yet hath he not honoured it with this, that it should
lay iniquity on Christ, or move God to do it.
This cannot be, you will say, for the apostle Paul saith
expressly, " I conclude that a man is justified by faith, and not
by the works of the law ;" therefore, we are justified by faith, and
wnat is tluif. \n\t to iiave sins laid uoon Christ, and we discharged
oi mem t
I confess, it seems to be a strong place at first, where the
apostle speaks or justilication by faith that consists in the taking
away of sins from men ; but give me leave to examine it a little,
that faith encroach not upon God, and take that which is his
own, and which he hath said he will not give to another : I say,
it is not the faith of a believer, though eve'r so strong and
powerful, that lays iniquity upon Christ; I shall give you a
touch of it for the present : and to this purpose, it were very
needful to consider, what it is for a person to be justified; for
upon that depends the knowledge of tlie very thing, " that lays
iniquity on Christ." Time will not give me leave to discourse
freely upon it ; in short, therefore, I will only shew what it is to
be justified. I speak of justification before God, and of his own
justification of a man ; and it must, of necessity, be granted of
all men, that know what justification is in common sense, that a
person justified before God, is such a one, who, when God
himself makes search to try him, whether he be guilty, or tiot
guilty, of a crime, finds none upon him ; and upou not finding
ny, he pronounceth him just. Let men say what they will, it
a flat contradiction for God to say, this a just person in mine
, and yet I have some transgressions to charge upon him :
can God say he is just, and yet charge him with injustice
Y
822' TO LAY OUR SINS ON CHRIST.
dono ? Therefore he must be fully freed from all injustice *>t
Sod cannot pronounce him a just person.
You will say, No man under heaven can then be justified ; for
God can charge all with transgression.
I answer, God cannot. That his people have transgressed, is
true ; but he finds, in fact, that all their transgressions are '
already satisfied for by his own Son, though the sins were after-
wards committed; yet upon payment made beforehand, he
charges not sin upon them, having charged it upon Christ
already, and taken the full payment of him for it. There is no
person under heaven, that God pronounceth just, but he therein
says, I have not one sin to charge upon him. It is true, I find
many crimes committed by him, but also I find, that my Son
hath discharged them already, and he hath given me good satis-
faction for them : now then, this being the justification of a
sinner before God; how is it possible^ that faith can discharge a
person from all iniquity, that God himself, upon strict search,
should find none to be charged upon him ? How can faith do it I
Suppose a person had no transgression for God to find, till he
believes, yet this believing brings transgression with it, enough
for God to find him guilty ; that itself is sinful ; " I believe.
Lord, help my unbelief:" there is a mixture of unbelief in the
faith of all believers; and there are many weaknesses in it: and
how can that justify a person, that is not able to justify itself ?
Though Christ was like to us in all things, yet " sin was ex-
cepted :" must he himself be free from sin to justify us, that he
might purchase our redemption, and shall faith justify us that are
not free from sin ? If faith justifies a person, what must justify
faith ? for that must have something to justify it, being not able
to justify itself.
But, you will say, this is but argumentation ; the apostle Paul
saith (Rom. v. 1,) " That being justified by faith, we have peace
with God;" and since the Holy Ghost saith, " we are justified
by faith," we must not dispute against it.
I will answer in brief, and desire one thing of you, and that is
to consult Beza upon this place ; he renders the words out of the
original, " Being justified by faith we have peace with God,"
without any stop from the first to the last. Our translators
render the words thus, " Being justified by faith," and then put a
comma; but as Beza renders them (who is accounted a most
THE lord's prerogative ONLY. 8S^
Tenderer of the original) he makes no stop : and, if that
be trujg, why may not they be as well rendered thus ; " Being
justified, by faith we have peace Avith God?" And so ascribe
justification to Christ, as a thing done before, and let faith have
reference to our peace; being justified by Christ, by faith we
come to have peace with God; which stands ^current with the
analogy of faith, and truth of the gospel: " For it is God that
justifieth," Rom. viii. 34. Justification is truly and properly the
work of God himself, and cannot be the Work of faith *.
But, Secondly, suppose the words to run as they are commonly
rendered; I answer, then are we to distinguish in faith two
things ; there is the act of believing, and the ohject on which we
believe ; and so the words may be understood thus, " Being
justified" by the righteousness of faith, or by the righteousness of
Christ which we believe, " we have peace with God ;" and so
ascribe our justification to the object of out believing, the
righteousness of Christ, and not to the act of believing. The
truth is, beloved, the act of believing is a work, and as much
ours, as our fear, prayer, and love are ; and the apostle should
contradict himself when he saith, " We are saved by grace,
through faith, not of works," if he mean the act of faith; he
might as well have said, we are not justified "by works, but we
are justified by them.
Finally, to draw towards a concltision, I answer thus ; You
may consider justification in a double sense, and that, according
to the opinion of our divines, there is jnstilication in heaven, anxi
in a man's conscience. Justification in heaven, is God's act
alone ; justification in the consciences of men, is the manifesta-
tion of that act of God to them, by whicli a man comes to knowj
and consequently to rejoice in it; and so you may read the
words thus, " Being justified by faith," that is, through faith
liaving the justification of God evidenced and manifested to ouf
spirits, " we have peace with himf." And, beloved, you shall
find this to be a very solid and genuine interpretation of the
words, and agreeable to the scriptures ; for peace atid joy are
always appropriated to persons believing ; as much as to say, the
act of justification in heaven, though perfectly done, is y€t secret
* Faith is never said to justify, nor are we justified by it as an act or wori, but by
the object of it, Christ, and his righteousness, who is sometimes called faith, "Gtl. lif.
23, 24, 25.
t Gf this see more in the note on page 91.
224 TO LAY OUR SINS ON CHRIST,
in the breast of God alone, till he gives persons faith, that Off-
holds the grace of God, that brings the glad tidings of justifica-
tion to the soul, and so it rejoiceth in it ; therefore the apostle
prays after this manner, '* The Lord fill you with all joy and
peace in believing." So that it is true, we have not the com-
fort ; we cannot say particularly to our spirits, God hath justified
me, and I rejoice in this, till we believe; because faith is made,
by the Lord, to be the " evidence of things not seen," as in
Heb. xi. 1, And that is the proper work that God hath given
Lo believing, not to effect any thing to the good of a man, but
only to be the witness of that good to his spirit ; and so give
light to that which was secret before. So that still it remains, that
the laying of iniquity itself upon Christ, is the Lord's act, and his
only ; our faith seelh what the Lord hath done ; and, when God
gives us to believe, faith manifests it to us, and so our souls
come to have peace. In sura, therefore, beloved. God lays,
Christ bears, and faith sees iniquity laid upon him. God, through
Christ, perfect this work in us, that so, faith seeing, " we may
have all joy and peace in believing."
SERMON XXL
TO LAY OUR SINS ON CHRIST, IS THE LORD's
PREROGATIVE ONLY.
ISAIAH liii. 6.
AND THE LORD HATH LAID ON HIM THE INIQUITY OF US ALL.
I FIND no scripture so punctually and fully revealing the
riches of the grace of God to men, as this that I have now read
unto you, surpassing others depending upon it ; and I find no
truth more clouded, to the trouble of God's people, than tnose
IS THE lord's prerogative ONLY 325
truths that conceni the grace of God to men ; which hath ex-
coedmsfly provoked me to improve that talent I have received,
to communicate the mind of the Lord, as fully as I may, to
them.
,0f this truth, upon sundry occasions, I have spoken several
things out of these words ; each word containing a special ob-
servation by itself; every word hath its weight, and speaks
admirable grace to the sons of men. God not only punishes
Christ for men, but he lays the very iniquities of men upon him.
The purity of God naturally can never take pleasure in a filthy
vessel. Should Christ be punished over and over again for the
sins of men ; yet if, for all this, they lay upon themselves, God
must abhor them. There can be no expectance of a smile from
the face of God, upon any creature in the world, till it be all
fair ; and this cannot be, till all spots of sin be taken from them ;
and this taking away of the filthiness of the creature, is not a
kind of supposed taking of it away, but is a real act of God ; he
makes Christ as very a sinner as the creature himself was*:
" He was made sin for us," 2 Cor. v. 21. The Lord laid our
very iniquities themselves upon him : this is the greatest grace
the soul can have comfort in, in this life, that iniquity is done
away; and, therefore, it concerns all that hear such admirable
tidings, to know from whence it comes, who undertakes this great
%vork, to discharge a poor sinner, and to lay all its iniquities
on Christ. Had all the creatures in the world undertaken, with
all their strength, to lay them on him, it would have broke the
back of them all, so much as to lift at sin to lay it upon him ;
therefore the grace of the Lord is evident in this, that it is he
himself that laid iniquity upon him. No undertakers in heaven
or earth could have brought this great work to pass, but the
Lord alone. It is sti-ange, that Christ should be enabled to un-
dertake so much as he did; yet God did not oblige him to take
and lay our iniquities upon himself. Christ learned obedience
in this, and waited the pleasure of his Father to lay iniquity
upon him, and doth not lay it on himself; " I came not to do
my own will (saith he), but the will of him that sent me :" nay,
Christ was not the first motive to it ; but the thoughts of God's
• That is, by imputation, which is a real act of God, and by which al' the sms of
the sinner are put upon Christ, so that he, standing in his stead, is reckonod in th«
i»ye of justice as what the sinner himself is. See the notes on page 7 and 10.
326 TO LAY OUR SrNS ON CHRIST,
own love towards poor creatures, were the motives to himself to
give hira to. bear their sins ; and if Christ himself doth not lay
iniquity upon himself, mucb less doth the righteousness of man
lay it on him. It is not all the prayers, the tears, the fasting, the
repentance, though ever so perfect and complete, that lays any
one iniquity upon Christ; it is the Lord alone that does it; nay,
none of these performances have the least moving power in them
to persuade him to it; the Lord moves himself to do it: all our
services are for other purposes ; they have no prevalency with
him at all, no, our faith itself lays not our iniquities on Christ ;
but, as I said, the Lord lays, Christ bears, our faith doth but see
and make evident that, in time, which before was hid and" not
seen.
We cannot amplify the particulars so largely as necessity re-
quires ; I must proceed to what remains behind. Now,, beloved,
I shall shew you clearly, I hope, that it is not to be imagined,
that any thing in the world can possibly lay iniquity upon Christ,
but only the Lord himself ; for the clearing of which I desire to
take some specialties into consideration.
]. None in the world hath any thing to do with iniquity, to
dispose of it, but only the Lord ; and therefore none can lay it
upon Christ, but only he. For the better clearing of which, you-
must understand, that iniquity, or sin (as in 1 John iii. 4) " is
the transgression of the law : for where there is no law, there is
no transgression," as the apostle Paul speaks : the meaning i»
this, transgression is a swerving or going astray from the pleasure
of God revealed in his law ; nothing is transgression,, but what is
against him, and his mind revealed to men : and whereas in a.
subordination, thero may be a transgression against men, one
against another; yet all such transgression hath its denomination,,
not as man's, but as God's will is transgressed. As for instance,
" Thou shalt not commit adultery ;" in the breach of this, here
is a transgression of a man against a man; for one man to com--
mit adultery with another- man's wife,, is an offence against her
husband; yet this were not properly a transgression, if it were
not a transgression of the law of God made against it; "For
where there is no law, there is no transgression." To come to
the purpose in hand, transgression is only against God ; for-
which cause, David, though he committed adultery with Uriah's
wife, and slew him with the sword, of. his enemy,, and: therein.
IS THE lord's prerogative ONLY. 327
transgressed against those persons ; yet David riseth to the foun-
tain of transgression, and so to the true nature of it, when he
confesseth, Psahu li. 4. " Against thee only have I sinned, and
done evil in thy sight."
And you shall find, when Samuel had been set up to be judge
over Israel, and the people began to despise and reject him, be-
cause they would have a king, as other people had ; there was a
sinning against Samuel in subordination ; yet the Lord saith,
" They have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me."
They sinned against God principally, and Samuel subordinately,
because they sinned against God's ordinance : Samuel being
substituted by God over them.
If sin then be against God, against whom it is committed,
then it is only in his power to dispose of it at his pleasure.
Suppose a man owe a debt to another, it is not in the power of a
third party to dispose of this debt as he pleasethy but in the
creditor himself only ; if a creditor should arrest a debtor, and
make him pay, or lie by it himself, it is not in the power of any
other to take surety in the stead of this debtor ; the creditor
may take a surety if he will, and it is at his pleasure, whether a
surety shall stand, or be accepted, or no. Every ti-ansgression
of a man is a debt to the Lord; and, as it is a debt to him, so it
is only in his power, and at his pleasure, to dispose of it ;
whether or no, persons shall lie by it till they have paid the
utmost farthing themselves ; or whether he will take a surety to
stand in their room, and pay the debt for them. From hence
are these words, " I will have mercy on whom I will have
mercy, and whom I will I harden :" as much as to say, I will
take a surety for as many as I list, and none for as many as I
please ; such and such, I will take a surety for ; and therefore
you shall find, that in this business of laying iniquity upon
Christ, he goes under the notion of a mediator ; he is the
mediator of a better covenant, or testament : as much as to say,
Christ himself will not take upon him, to dispose of the sins
committed against the Father ; he indeed mediates with him ; he
is contented, if the Father please to make him a surety, he will
see him paid. A mediator is one that comes between men to
over-rule them if possible ; so Christ deals with the Father, he
will become the surety of a better covenant or testament ; and
accordingly, be the surety for such as God seeth good, and no
TO LAY OUR SINS ON CHRIST,
ther ; and the rest tbey shall, they must lie by it. And '^here-
fore you shall see, that for so many as God is contented, Christ
should be their surety ; he is so far from disposing of their sins
upon himself, that though he paid the utmost farth-ing, and the
Father was fully satisfied with it ; yet he acknowledged for all
that, that this very suretyship of his, instead of others, was an
act of grace, and an act of grace to himself; " Thine they
were, and thou gavest them me." How was it a gift ? Did not
Christ pay well for them ? Did not he lay down the price of his
blood, a satisfactory price ? Yea, he did; yet, "Thou gavest
them me," saith Christ : how so, will you say ? I answer,
God might have chosen whether Christ should have come to
oifer satisfaction, or whether he would accept of it made by him
the surety ; in that he would accept of a price, there was at
gift.
2. It must only be the Lord's work to dispose of the sins of
men, to lay them on Christ ; nothing else could do it ; none but
the Lord could qualify and fit Christ to bear the sins of men :
none but he alone could do it. Suppose it were in the power of
the creature to lay iniquity of men upon Christ, what could this
avail, except Christ, when it is laid upon him, should become
able to bear it, and not sink under it, when it was laid upon
him } therefore none could lay it with effect, but God alone.
There are two things that are exceeding necessary, that iniqui-
ties might be laid beneficially upon him, and all the world could
do neither of them.
1. That he should have a body, wherein to bear iniquity.
2^ Having a body, that he should be steeled above natural'
strength ; that that body prepared, should not sink under such a
weight.
Now this is the Lord's own work; nay, all the world could
never reach it but he, to furnish Christ with both these : and
v.ou shall find both of them intimated in one expression, in
Heb. X. 6, 7 ; " When he came into the world he said, burnt
offerings and sacrifices thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou
prepared me:" they are both intimated in these words, "A body
hast thou prepared me :^' where you shall find that it is the Lord'
himself that furnishes him with this body.
1. There must be a body, that he might come to do the will'
of God ; " A body hast thou prepared me, that I should do thy
IS THE lord's prerogative ONLY, 329
n^ill, O God !" that is, do It in a body. And, 2. note, that this
body is not an ordinary one, but prepared ; therefore in the
nuirgin it is, " a body hast thou fitted me ;" as a man fits a case
to a tiling to be put into it ; that builds a house, a fit habitation
for himself to dwell in; or a fort for some to be fortified in it,
he prepares it accordingly ; so, " A body hast thou pre-
pared for me," that is, a body hast thou fitted for me, and
steeled it, that it may be of more than natural strength
to bear the sins of men. The divine nature is incapable of
bearing transgression, therefore there must be a body given and
prepared, that may be subject to bear ; and tbis bocfy, because
the weight of sin is infinite, and enough to press an ordinary
one into hell, must be steeled with an infinite strength above
nature, that it may stand steadfastly under it, and firm to the
work ; therefore the Psalmist tells us, " Thou spakest in vision
to thy holy one, thou hast laid help upon one that is mighty :"
it is not an ordinary body, that this help must be laid upon, but
must be mighty ; therefore Christ tells us, in John iv. 34, that
he himself had received the spirit, not by measure ; there was
more strength given to him, than ordinary strength, that is
common to the creature.
Now, beloved, except any creature in the world could thus
furnish Christ, and steel him that he might not sink, to what
purpose should any lay iniquity upon him ? and therefore in
Isa. xlii. 16, you shall find, that he doth not only call us out to
behold his servant whom he hath chosen, but he tells us, how he
disposes of him, that he may be for our use ; " Behold my ser-
vant whom I uphold — I will keep thee, and give thee for a
covenant to the people." I have kept thee, as well as given
thee ; the Father must help Christ iii this work, as well as give
him ; there must be furnishing with abilities to the employment,
as well as a calling forth to it ; to what purpose is it to call a
multitude of people to resist a common enemy ? What use will
they be of, except they be furnished with arms, and all things
fitting for the service they are called out unto ? If iniquity be
laid upon Christ, and he not furnished to bear it, to what pur-
pose is it? He will shrink under the burthen, and we perish in
his sinking. It is not of small consequence, therefore, to know
that the Lord hath laid iniquity upon him.
3. None but the Lord alone can lay iniquity upon Christ, m
330 TO LAY OUR SINS ON CHRIST^
that none but he hath so much power over, and interest in
Christ, to prevail with him to be content to bear it : all the
world could never have won Christ to put his shoulders to vm-
dergo such a burthen, but only the power of the Lord prevailed
with him. Beloved, it is not such a light weight, to be under
the weight of all the sins of all the elect at once, that Christ
should make so light of it, as to take it upon himself. This one
complaint of Christ may resolve us of the weight of transgression
that was upon him ; " Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass
from me ;" and he sweat drops of blood as water, because of that
agony his soul was in, by reason of sin that was then upon him ;
and it made him cry out, " My God, my God, why hast thou
forsaken me V so heavy was it upon him. Who in the world
ever had, hath, or ever shall have, so much interest in Christ, to
prevail with him to take the sins of his people upon himself, if
they could lay them upon him 1 Though the elect of God reap
an unsearchable fruit from hence, yet it is not they, nor their
ease, which is the prime motive which prevailed with Christ ta
bear them ; but that which chiefly prevailed with him, was the
pleasuring of his Father : he knew well enough how hot the
heart of God was set upon this, that the iniquities of men
shoidd be borne by him, and carried away fi-om them, and they
discharged ; now, for the pleasuring of him, he was content to
do it ; and you shall find much of Christ's discourse, and of the
prophets that spake of him, tending to this ; that the eye of
Christ was principally upon the pleasuring of his Father in
bearing the sins of men : in Isa. liii. 10, 11, 12, three times you
shall find it expressed, " The pleasure of the Lord shall prosper
111 his hand : he shall see the travail of his soul and be satisfied :
and it pleased the Lord to bruise him :" still j^ou see the eye of
Christ was upon the satisfying of his Father, and pleasuring of
him in that he did; that his pleasure should prosper in the
Avork, therefore the hand of Christ takes it ; that the Father be
satisfied with this, he is content to be in travail in his soul, and
to bear iniquity ; in that it pleased the Lord to bruise him,
therefore was he content to be broken. All the world could
never prevail with Christ to undergo it, had it not been that he
might give his Father content. It is worth your observation,
what is recorded in Heb. x. 5, 6, 7 ; mark it well, I pray ; when
Christ comes into the world, he saith, " Sacrifice and burnt-
IS THE lord's prerogative ONLY. 331
offerings thou wouldest not, in burnt-offerings and sin-offerings
thou hadst no pleasure ; then said I, Lo, I come:" observe his
motive to come into the world, namely, to do that which burnt-
offerings and sacrifices could not do. " There was a remem-
brance of sin (saith the apostle) every year, since the blood of
bulls and goats could not take away sin ;" therefore the Lord
was not pleased and contented with burnt-offerings and sacri-
fices ; upon this, saith Christ, " Lo, I come ;" as if he had said,
seeing they canBot give thee content, that thou mayest have
pleasure, lo, I come to do the work thoroughly, that thou mayest
be satisfied.
4. None but the Lord could lay iniquity upon Christ, because,
none but he could give him a fit and proportionable reward for
bearing it. It is fit every one should have consideration for the
work he doth ; and it is most certain, Christ in undertaking to
bear the sins of his people, hath an eye to a proportionable
consideration for it ; now none but the Lord could give him
it ; therefore, none else could win him to lay iniquity upon
him. In Heb. xii. 2, 3, it is plain that Christ had an
eye to some good consideration ; " Looking to Jesus, the
author and finisher of our faith, who, for the joy that was set
before him,, endured the cross, and despised the shame, and now
sits at the right hand of God." He did not only suffer, but also
despised the shame that sin brought upon him ; for he being
made sin, became also a shame, and he despised that ; and
what was that which moved him to it ? It was joy ; and what was
that joy ? " He sits at the right hand of God his Father;" and
who could thus reward Christ but the Lord ? And, beloved,
you shall find that God, when he puts him on to bear the sins of
men, he proposes rewards to him for his encouragement : in
Psa. ii. 6 — 8, where he speaks of anointing of Christ to be his
" King upon his holy hill ;" " Ask of me, (saith he) and I will
give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost
parts of the earth for thy possession :" here is that which God
will give to Christ, and wherefore doth he make this deed of
gift to him, but that it may be a reward to him for his sufferings,
and so encourage him to the work ? And for this purpose, let
us consider that passage in Phil. ii. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10; " Who, being
in the form of God, thought it no robbery to be equal with God;
but took upon him the form of a servant, and became obedient
33i} TO LAY OUR SINS ON CHRIST,
unto death, even the death of the cross :" (mark what follows)
"Therefore God hath highly exalted him, and given him a name
above every name, that at the name of JESUS, every knee
should bow, both of things in heaven, and things in earth, and
things under the earth ; and that every tongue should confess
that Jesus is the Lord." Here you see expressly, how the Lord
rewards nim for this very thing, that he " became obedient unto
death, even the death of the cross," while " he thought it no
robbery to be equal with God."
And, indeed, beloved, no marvel that the Lord will propose
such a reward to Christ, to make him satisfaction for the taking
upon him the sins of men ; for consider men as they were to
bear their own transgressions themselves, and as some are yet to
bear them ; alas ! what payment was the Lord likely to have !
payment like that of broken debtors : he must have given time,
to all eternity, before he could have his debt paid ; whereas
Christ, coming into the world, makes round, present, and ready
payment ; he pays all at once : and is not this a good repara-
tion ? When as a debtor is broke, and the creditor has to stay
many years for his money, and take it by piece-meal too, would
it not be thank-worthy for one to come now, and pay down the
full sum upon the nail, ready money? When Christ came into
die world he paid down all at once ; God hath all from him (as
they say) in ready cash. From hence there is a translation of
the debt from us, broken debtors, to one that is mighty; he
bears the burthen, and pays the debt for us ; the Lord is satisfied
to his content, and he requites him for it. Now if all that w€
ever did, or can do, be not a requital of him, how can we expee
that we should lay our iniquities upon Christ ?
Now for application. If it be the Lord himself that lays our
iniquities upon Christ, it is but meet and right that he should
have " the praise of the glory of his own grace;" and that
nothing in the world should go away with the praise of it from
him. I remember a complaint of the poet, who, it seems, had
made some verses that carried some credit with them, and some
foister had taken it upon himself; " I have made the verses, and
another hath the honour of them ; as the bee makes honey, and
another hath the fruit of it." Beloved, it may be the just com-
plaint of the Lord to the sons of men ; I have laid the iniqui-
ties of you all upon Christ, and every thing almost runs away
IS THE lord's prerogative ONLY, 333
with the honour of it ; as if something else did ease you of the
burthen of them, and I am neglected. Now so long as you
have these vain conceits in you, that any thing you do becomes
your ease, and the lightening of the burthen of your sins, they
will go away with the praise that is due to God, To whomso-
ever we apprehend ourselves beholding, as we say, for such a
courtesy, such a one shall go away with the praise of it : 2 Sam,
xvi, 1, 2, I remember how Ziba, the servant of Mephibosheth,
Saul's son, came to David with the stolen goods of his master,
and pretended that it was his own courtesy to David that he had
brought so many mules, and a large quantity of provision ;
David asked for his master, he belies his master, and tells him he
abides at Jerusalem, hoping that Israel would set the crown
upon his head ; but mark it well, whilst that David is possest
that Ziba is he that hath done him a courtesy, he shall go away
with the glory of it, and Mephibosheth shall be neglected ; and
David gives all the land of Mephibosheth to Ziba upon this
mistake, and so he carried away all the praise of the courtesy
from Mephibosheth, And so it is most true, beloved, as long
as we reckon our own holy duties, repentance, and enlarge-
ment in prayer, &c, as the bringers of refreshment to our spirits,
and the unloaders of our hearts from our transgressions, that are
the burthen of th« soul ; so long these are exalted above mea-
sure. Hence these strange epithets and expressions are fixed to
to them : " Oh! the omnipotency of repentance! and of meet-
ing with God in fasting and humiliation ! oh ! the prevalency of
tears to wash away sin !" They supposing that these ease us of
the weight of sin, go away with the glory. Oh! who is omni-
potent but the God of heaven ! What washes away the sins of
men but the blood of Christ ? Shall we give the glory to Ziba,
that is due to Mephibosheth ? In 2 Sam, xix, 24, you shall hear
how Mephibosheth makes his apology for himself, and pleads
his sincerity to the king, and declares how his servant had
abused him ; and then David restored half his lands again to
him ; but yet Ziba must share with him still.
Oh ! beloved, I desire you to deal more equally with God ; let
him have all the praise; let not Ziba and Mephibosheth divide
the land ; let not your performances share with God in the
praise of his grace, in laying iniquities upon Christ,
It is God alone that lays your iniquities upon Christ, AAd
334 TO LAY OUR SINS ON CHRIST,
your performances cozen you, while they tell you, that they ease
you of your burthen, and lay it upon him. Oh ! turn them out,
and let them not shai-e with the Lord in the praise due to his
name.
It was the sin of the Jews, when they had gotten a prey, they
presently thought it was their own nets and drags that got it ;
and therefore (saith the prophet) " They sacrifice to their own
nets, and offer incense to their drags." Beloved, you will offer
incense to your performances, as long as you go to them to be
your deliverers. The deliverance from the weight of your sin,
is not from the virtue of any thing you do ; it is the Lord alone
that lays iniquity upon Christ; and, therefore, let him alone
carry away the praise and glory of it ; let nothing rob him of it.
In paradise the Lord made a large grant to the sons of men in
Adam ; " Of all the trees in the garden thou shalt eat, save only
the tree of knowledge of good and evil :" he reserved that one
tree to himself, and but that one ; he gave him of his bounty to
eat of every one besides ; and yet such was his itching humour,
that of all others, fain would he be meddling there, till he
trought ruin on his own h^ad. In the gospel, all our grants are
large ; " All are yours, and you are Christ's, and Christ is
Gods's : God spared not his own Son, but gave him up to death
for us all ;" nay more, " I am your God, and you are my
people." He thinks not much to give his Son, nor himself, to
his people ; there is but one thing he keeps to himself, Isa.
xliii. 8 ; " My glory will I not give to another, nor my praise to
graven images ;" all that the Lord reserves to himself, is but
*' the praise and glory of his own grace." Oh ! pilfer not that
from God, which, when you have it, will do you no good in the
world ! and seeing he will have only this, do not grudge it him.
It is not out of niggardliness that God keeps this to himself, for
in Isa. xlii. 6, you shall find that he is bountiful enough, for all
that ; " I will give thee for a covenant to the people, to open
the blind eyes, and to bring the prisoners out of prison :" that
will do us more good; and, that he may do us good, his own Son
shall be given for a covenant ; but " my glory, that shall not be
given to another," as it follows presently after. Oh ! therefore,
let not your performances, be they ever so exact, aspire so high,
as to usurp that glory that is due to the Lord alone !
But some will be ready to say, though our performances io
IS THE lord's prerogative ONLY 335
not lay our iniquities upon Christ, and, thereforej ought not to
have the glory of it ; yet, surely, the Lord requires these duties,
that he may lay our iniquities upon Christ, and so honour our
services as the motives by which he is pleased to lay them upon
him.
Do not mistake, beloved, performances are not only not the
principal efficients, but they are not so much as the instruments,
or means, of laying the iniquities of men upon Christ ; nay, not
as motives : and it is a gross mistake, (I would the truth might
shine more clear, that I might undeceive men ;) men run away
with vain imaginations, that the renewing of faith and re-
pentance is a new laying of iniquities upon Christ ; or that the
Lord anew lays it on him, when we renew these duties ; I say,
this is a gross mistake ; for God doth not lay iniquity upon
Christ upon the performance of them ; nay, these have no
stroke in it, I would fain know this one thing; Christ beins:
now in heaven, whether he now, before the throne of his Father,
actually bears the iniquities of men ? Doth Christ stand as a
sinner before the face of God in glory ? Certainly no unclean
thing shall enter into the heavenly Jerusalem ; and if, upon the
renewing our repentance and faith, our sins we commit are car-
ried from us, and laid upon him in heaven, then he stands
besmeared with the sins of men as in heaven, in glory. One
sin is committed at this instant by the believer, another at that,
and another at a third; and so, from the first moment, to the
end of the world, there is a continual succession of acts of sin
by believers. Well, what do men do ? They believe and re-
pent ; and what do these do 1 Wlien men believe and repent,
(you say) they lay iniquity upon Christ, and then it is upon
him.
How can it possibly enter into the heart of any man, that he
that is set down in glory with the Father, having done his work,
finished transgression, and put an end to sin, by one sacrifice
upon the cross, should yet still bear the iniquities of men upon
him, before him ?
Besides, beloved, I beseech you consider this one thing, if
Christ hath iniquity laid upon him now, and hereafter, as men
believe and repent, what course must he take to rid himself of
it ? If there be iniquity upon him, there must be a way for him
to rid himself of it, and it must be taken off most certaiulv ; mi
336 TO LAY OUR SINS ON CHRIST,
when the Lord laid iniquity upon Christ, he, by one offering, did
so perfect the work, that he sits down, (saith the apostle in Heb,
X. 12,) " For ever at the right hand of God ; and there remaineth
now no more sacrifice for sin. Without shedding of blood, there
is no remission." Wherever sin is found, there must be shedding
oi^ blood, or else there is no remission : and if sin be laid upon
Christ, there must be a new shedding of blood before it can be
taken away.
And therefore you must consider, that this laying of sin upon
Christ, is a business that God hath done long ago, and not now
to be done ; for the text saith not, God lays, or will lay, iniquity
upon him ; but hath laid it on him : therefore, saith the apostle
in Heb. ix. 28, " Christ was once offered to take away the sins
of many ; and unto them that look for him, he shall appear the
second time without sin unto salvation." Christ himself must
appear without sin, that he might have power to prevail with the
Lord: it is observable, that while sin lay upon him, and he was
forced to bear it, he himself was forsaken of the Father.
In Dan. ix. 24, " Seventy weeks shall be determined upon thy
people, and upon thy holy city, to finish transgression, and to
make an end of sin, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and
to bring in everlasting righteousness ;" mark, I pray you, these
" seventy weeks" were expired, wlien Christ was upon the cross,
then sin was finished, and therefore he said, " It is finished ;"
therefore, the laying of iniquity upon Christ, is not a new thing,
now to be done ; neither is it your faith and repentance that lay
it upon him, but it is a thing done long ago : therefore cast off
gross conceit, as if God did daily lay your sins upon Christ, as
you daily renew your faith and repentance.
But what do they then serve for, will you say ?
I answer. They serve for this purpose; the Lord is pleased
when he hath freely, and of his own accord, pardoned the sins of
men, having laid them upon Christ, to reveal himself in this his
grace, and manifest to them that which he hath done long before,
when they meet with him in prayer, fasting, and ordinances ; he
is pleased to manifest in them to us, what he hath already done,
and not that they are yet to be done, much less that these things
do them.
Well, is it the Lord that lays iniquity upon Christ? Then
matter of admirable consolation : none in the world like
IS THE lord's prerogative ONLY. 337
this, the Lord hath laid it ; if any thing else had, but he alone,
nieii were undone for ever. God is unchangeable, " I am tne
Lord, I change not (saith he) therefore ye sons of Jacob are not
consumed." That which the Lord doth, is for ever, not to be
revoked and altered again ; that which the creature doth is
changeable, but God changes not.
But I must hasten. In the last place, is it then the Lord that
lays iniquity upon Christ ; then take it off from him who dare,
and bring it back again to the poor soul, from whom the Lord
hath taken it, and laid it upon him: who art thou that darest to
dispute against God ? Hath not the potter power over the clay,
to make of one lump a vessel of honor, and another of dishonor ?
If the Lord is pleased of his good will and free grace, to make
thee a vessel unto honor, by purging thee thoroughly from sin,
and laying it upon Christ, wilt thou dispute with God, and say
thy iniquities are not laid upon him ?
In Gen. xlviii. Joseph brings his two sons, Manasses and
Ephraim, to Jacob his father, to be blessed by him before he
died ; he brings Manasses, and sets on Jacob's right hand, and
Ephraim on his left hand ; but Jacob, when he began to bles's
them, changed his hand, and put his left hand upon Manasses the
eldest, and his right hand upon Ephraim the youngest : Mark,
what saith Josepl then ? " Not so, my father, for this is the
eldest ; yea, I knc»w it my son, I know it, (saith Jacob) very
well :" that is not the purpose, Manasses " shall be great, but his
younger brother shall be greater than he :" Joseph would needs
correct his father, t*iinking he did not prudently in that he did,
and that his hand wis not placed right, and therefore he would
be mending it. Jmt so we judge of God's proceedings, in the
dispensation of his grace to men ; we think that he deals impru-
dently, when he lays his right hand of mercy upon the head of a
notorious sinner, an enemy ; and his left hand of severity uy,on
an elder brother, a sincere man, one that walks uprightly : not j>o
my father, say men, that is a wicked man, a notorious sinner;
this is an honest, righteous, and godly man ; this is the elder, lav
thy right hand of grace upon him : I know very well, (saith God)
what they are; it is my pleasure, the youngest shall have the
blessing, and the eldest go without it; "you are righteous in
your generation, (saith Christ) but the publicans and harlots
shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, and vourselves shall be
ass TO LAY OUR SINS ON CHRIST, ETC.
s<hut out." Beloved, let the Lord lay his hand where he please,
and let him dispose of iniquity as he seeth good, and lay '^hose
sins he please upon Christ : " Even while we were enemi'js we
were reconciled:'* Let no man therefore look upon human
prudence., nor discourse according to reason ; but let us look
upon the act of God in dispensing of his grace, as he who is
wisdom itself, orders it; and know that he which cannot err,
disposeth of iniquity, and layeth it upon Christ ; and whom he
blesseth, is, and shall be blessed. I may speak of the act of
God, in laying men's sins upon Christ once passed, and set forth
the unchangeableness of it, by that act of Isaac blessing Jacob,
though Jacob got the blessing by deceit from his father, making
him to believe, that he was his eldest son ; and Esau coming in
afterwards for the blessing, saith Isaac, " I have blessed him, and
he shall be blessed:" shall Isaac, a man, stand to what he hath
done, th-ugh gotten from him by a mere cheat; and shall the
Lord change in what he hath done ; having laid iniquity upon
Christ, shall he take it off again 1 " He is not a man that he
should lie, nor the son of man, that he should repent;" ana
therefore, beloved, you may take up that glorious challenge of
the apostle in Rom. viii. " Who shall lay any thing to the
charo-e of God's elect? It is God that justifieth." There is the
cTound of all ; so say to your own spirits, who shall call me to
account for my sins ? Who shall lay them to my charge ? Who
will make me bear them on my own back? It is God himself
hath taken them off, and discharged me : " It is God that justifieth
me ;" if man had justified me, he might have been mistaken ;
nad he pronounced me innocent, I might have borne my sins
still. " Christ died, or is rather risen again ;" wherefore, who
f.hall lay any thing to our charge ? And so you may trample over
all the accusations of Satan upon this very consideration, tbat
Goa " hath laid on him the iniquity of us all."
3^9
SERMON XXII.
OUR SINS ALREADY LAID ON CHRI*»I
ISAIAH liii. 6.
AND THE LORD HATH LAID ON HTM THE INIQUITY OF US ALU
The last day, as you may remember, we took notice of the
author of this grace, " Of laying iniquity upon Christ :" it is the
Lord's own act ; none but he laid it on him ; Christ took not the
office of priesthood upon himself, but as he was called of God.
The office of his priesthood was the bearing of sin ; that was the
'prime business of the^high priest to represent all the people, and
to enter into the holy of holies to bear their sins before the Lord.
" No man takes this honour upon him, but he that is called of God,
as Aaron was," Heb. v. 4. Therefore the apostle saith expressly,
the Lord spake thus, I have said, " Thou art a priest for ever," that
was his call ; and for the confirmation of it he established it by an
oath, " The Lord hath SAVorn thou art a priest for ever," Heb. vii.
2L And if Christ himself takes not upon him to dispose of the
sins of men, much less is it in the power of any mere creature.
It is not in the power of any righteousness we do, though ever
so complete, no nor of our faith, to lay iniquity upon Christ;
The lord lays^ Christ bems, and faith beholds this iniquity thus
laid by him^ and borne by Christ ; and so the soul receives com-
fort upon the apprehension of it. None but the Lord can pos-
sibly lay iniquity upon Christ, because none hath to do with the
disposing of it but he ; " Against thee, thee only, have I sinned,
and done evil in thy sight ;" yet he had sinned against Uriah and
his wife ; but properly the sin was against God, as that sin was
a transgression of his law : if the debt be God's, who hath power
to dispose of it, either to take it off the principal, or transfer it
to a surety, but he that is the creditor : What hath any man to
do with another man's debt ?
z2
340 OUR SINS ALREADY LAID ON CHRIST,
Again, None but the Lord can dispose of iniquity, because
none hath so much interest in Christ as he hath ; it is a burthen
of a heavy weighty and he must have great interest that can pre-
vail with him to bear it. Though it is true, we, the sons of men
partake of abundance of comfort in the discharge of sin by Christ;
yet his primary intention in bearing it, was not the salvation of
man, but the satisfaction of his Father^ " Lo, I come, to do thy
will,'' Heb. X. 9. " This is my meat and drink, to do the will of
him that sent me," John iv. 34. " Father, I have glorified thee
on earth, therefore glorify me," John xvii. 1 — 4, 5. Still the
eye of Christ ran upon the pleasuring of his Father ; this is that
which made him so hearty in bearing sin, " The pleasure of the
Lord shall prosper in his hand," Isaiah liii. 10.
Again, None could fit Christ to bear sin but the Lord, there-
fore none else could lay it on him : a body he must have, or he
could not bear sin : the God-head cannot bear sin ; " And a
body," saith Christ, " hast thou prepared me," Heb. x, 5 ; all the
world could not prepare a fit body to bear sin for Christ ; a body
natural is but weak , and too weak to bear itself up under such a *
weight, A body there must be that is supernatural, steeled and
supported ; and this also is the mere work of the Lord : Isaiah
xlii. 6, " Behold my servant, whom I uphold ;" saith he, God
must uphold him ; " I will keep thee, I will help thee, I will
strengthen thee, I will hold thine hands."
Finally, None but the Lord could requite Christ for such a
service as this ; it is fit he should have his pay for his pains : the
Lord tells him plainly, that upon the terms of bearing iniquity,
let him ask of him, and he shall " have the Heathen for his in-
heritance, and the utmost parts of the earth for his possession,"
Psalm ii. 8. Nay, he saith, because he was " obedient to the
death, even the death of the cross, therefore God hath highly
exalted him, and given him a name above every name," Phil,
ii. 8, 9,
It should therefore serve to put the people of God upon the
admiration of the great love of God, (seeing it is only the Lord
that layeth iniquity upon Christ) to give unto him the praise of
the glory of his grace : oh, let nothing go away with that, seeing
none but the Lord doth the thinsf !
And to this end, beloved, the Lord must open your eyes tliat
>ou may see it ; it is he alone that doth it ; but till you see it,
OUR SINS ALREADY LAID ON CHRIST. 341
whatever you may think of yourselves, you will sacrifice to nets
and drags instead of him ; if righteousness seem to be the easing
of burthens in spirit, then that shall, and will be exalted above
measure : from whence proceed these strange expressions, oh,
the omnipotency of fasting, prayer, and repentance ! What is
this but to give the glory of the Lord to our services, as if they
discharged us of our sins, Avhen it is he only that discharges us
of them ? But I must hasten.
There is another observable passage in these words, more ob-
servable indeed than heeded by most ; and that is to be taken
from the circumstance of time, when the Lord laid iniquity
upon Christ: the text saith, " The Lord hath laid on him the
iniquity of us all." Satan knows well enough of what great con-
sequence this circumstance of time is, both to the manifestation
of the glory of God's grace, and to the establishment of the com-
forts of his people ; and therefore he hath raised a foul dust to
misguide poor wretches, that they may not lay hold upon it, and
the comfort that will flow from it. The text saith not, the Lord
doth, or will lay, iniquity on him ; much less that the time is
over, and he will not now do it.
Satan is very busy with tender, ignorant hearts, either to per-
suade them that the work is now a doing, or hereafter shall be
done, but not yet done, or the time is overslipped ; it might have
been done, if men had not neglected the opportunity ; but now it
is too late ; it is never to be done.
The last of these hath troubled the hearts of many people ;
whence come these expressions ; I have neglected the day of my
visitation, saith one ; I had the opportunity, the presence of the
Spirit of God : my fear is, that was the day of God's grace to me,
but I have let it slip ; and now there is no more hope left for me :
but, beloved, let the evident word of the Lord himself be your
guide, and know, that every thing that is spoken, contrary to
the mind of the Lord revealed in it, is but the natural fruit of the
father of lies, who is a liar from the beginning. The Lord hath-
laid iniquity upon Christ : hath he done it already, and is it now
to be done 1 Nay, hath he done it, and doth he revoke it.
and will not suffer it to be done ? the point then brieflv is this.
This gracious act of the Lord's laying iniquity upon Christ, is
not now, or hereafter to be done, much less a thing he never wills
to be done, but it is a thing he hath already done.
3-42 OUR SINS ALRKADV LAID C\ CHRIST.
E\pry s<hoM-boy will bo able to toll yoii. that this o.xprossion
\/iarh /aid] importii tho tinio past, tho wonl boiiig in tho
prpterpcrlect tense; it is not in the present tense, the Lord
layoth; nor in the fntnro tonso, tho Lord will lay: but in the
protorperfoct tense, tho Lord hatli done it; it is an aet past, I
remeraber what was said nnto tliat rosolnto king; " Let not him
that putteth on tho harness boast himsolf. as ho that pnts it off,*'
1 Kings xx. 11. Beloved, yon know, when annios go ont, there
are tremblings of heart, what the snccess may be, till the fight be
over; when tho victory is gotten, then there i? joy, tho thing is
done. A\ hen a poor prisoner lies in prison condonmod, thongh
he have tVionds to bog his pardon ; wliilo that is in agitation,
and not actnally done, he is in snsponco, between tear and hope,
and restless in spirit ; bnt when tho act of grace is once past,
and the king's liand and seal to it, the thing is done, then his
spirit conies to have rest: even so the rest of your spirits will
iie in this, not that a thing is in writing; or that there are
previous acts to be done to produce this act of laying iniquity
upon Christ ; but that tho thing is dispatched to your hands
hefore; you may see it at this instant done and tinished: though
the Lord in hnnsolf be imchangeable, yet oiu* unbelieving hearts
are suspicious of it, and we are ready to cry, " A bird in the
hand, is worth two in the bush:"' now to condescend to the
weakness of men, he is pleased, not that tho bird shoukl be in
tho bush, but in our hands; not that ho sliould have his mercies
within himself, but he passes them over, and gives the possession
of them to us, that so we may be the securer in them.
I doubt not, beloved, but by this time, the truth is cleared to
you, and that you find abuu<lance of establishment in it so
cleared, thei-efore we shall endeavour to let you know (as fully
as possibly we may) " when it was, that tho Lord laid iniquity
upon Christ."
But before we fiill upon that particular, there is one caution
1 shall recommend to your consideration, as very necess;u"y to
be considered, for the avoiding of confusion; which is this, that
you carefully distinguish between the Lord's sole and only act
of laying iniquity upon Christ, and the believer's act of applying
this grace. We are now upon the former consideration, the
Lord's sole and only act without the creature, in laying iniquity
^j]»on Christ.
OUn SINS ALREADV LAID ON CIiaiST. 343
I find, bolov ofl, that too many poor wrotchos, out of ignorance,
not understanding distinctly the course of" God's proceedings
with men, are apt to confound God's sole act of laying, and the
believer's act of applying together, as if they were both one; as
if our sins were laid upon Christ, only when we believe; and as
if that were the only thing, whereby they are laid upon him ; but it
is certain, that these are distinct acts: I hope I shall not need to
trouble myself, or you, much, to make it appear that they are;
the agent acting, and the instrument manifesting, are different.
Though the Lord gives men to believe; yet the putting for h
of that act is man's, by the power of the Lord ; as for the laying
of iniquity itself upon Christ, this is solely the Lord's own act:
our application doth but introduce the knowledge of that which
the Lord hath done Vjefore, and so we come to have the comfort.
Now it is true, indeed, that in respect of the application of this
grace to ourselves, " The laying of iniquity upon Christ," may
be considered either present or future ; that is, at this present
instant, a person may believe this grace of God, and so here is
now an a])plication of it; and possibly one, that doth not for the
present believe, and apply it to himself, may believe, and in
that respect, the applying it, may be future; but for the act
itself, of laying iniquity upon Christ, that is the Lord's, and is
neither present, nor future, but was before, and is already past
and gone.
The truth is, it is not possible that any person can truly
believe his iniquities are laid upon Christ, except there be a
previous act of the Lord's laying them on him; the Lord's act of
laying must go before our act of applying it to ourselves. It is
not possible for any man to act any thing, but there must be an
object in being, about which it is conversant. Suppose a man
believe his sins are laid upon Christ, I would fain know, whether
his believing be true or false; if he believe indeed, he hath a
foundation for this faith of his, and what is that ? He hath a
grant from the Lord, that is the very being of his faith : a grant,
I say, he finds out, that is a stin-ing up of his believing: now
suppose I am to believe the forgiveness of my sins, what must
be the ground of this my believing? The Lord must make his
grant to me, and finding that, 1 have ground to believe it ; then
whensoever this grant was made, the thing that I am to believe,
was done in respect of God's act: now we can find no grant, but
544 OUR SINS ALR.EADY LAID ON CHRIST.
as the Lord reveals the same in the word of his grace to us ;,
when, therefore, that which is the foundation of my faith was
made, then the act of God was made to me, which I apply to
myself.
If the Lord's laying iniquity upon Christ, has being, at the
same instant men believe, then the grant which men believe,
hath its first being then ; so all grants, upon which men are to
believe, must be new and immediate revelations, or they must be
founded in the word of grace : if they be founded in that, then
they were there before we believed ; and if they were there before
we believed, then the Lord, for his part, had passed over all that
he intends to pass over. Doth he pass over any thing anew to
men, besides what is in the word of grace ? Then that must be
by a new revelation ; and who can resolve of that ?
The word, and that alone, is sufficient to make the man of God
perfect, and fit for every good work. The mind of God is wholly
contained in this word; and therefore it must needs be a mistake
in the minds of people, that God then begins to pass over such
an act to them, that their iniquity is laid upon Christ, upon their
believing; I say, believing follows, and gathers its ground from
what God has done already.
I have heard some argue, that God lays iniquity upon Christ,
just then when men believe ; because the act,, and the object
about which it is conversant, a-re relatives, and therefore are in
nature together ; and are both as the Son and the Father ; the
Father is no sooner a Father, but the Son is a Son.
But, beloved, here is a mistake ; it is not faith that gives being
to tliis act, or grant, that our iniquities should be laid upon
Christ, it is the Lord alone that gives being to it, and it is his
act ; so that it is true, iniquity is not laid upon Christ, till he
lays it; but it follows not, that it was not laid upon him, till our
act of believing goes along with it ; because that doth not give
being to it, but is only a manifestation of that, which was before.
This then is carefully to be premised, and observed, namely, the
difference between the Lord's act of laying iniquity upon Christ,
and the act of a believer, to apply that grace; concerning the
latter, it is present to some, and future to others, as men
believe ; but the act of laying iniquity upon Christ is solely the
Lord's, and was done before, and is not to be done.
Now let us come to consider, when the Lord laid iniquity
OUR SINS ALREADY LAID ON CHRIST. 345
upon Christ ; he hath done it, It is past : but when did he do it,
will you say ? For the opening of this truth, there are some
specialties to be considered, as,
1. That the Lord laid iniquities upon Christ, by way of
obligation.
2. By way of execution.
3. By way of his own application thereof to his people; for,
as you shall hear, we must distinguish between God's application
of this grace, and their application of It ; this we shall speak to
afterwards.
We come now to consider, when the Lord laid iniquities upon
Christ, and for that you must know ; 1. The Lord laid them
upon him, by way of obligation ; I mean thus, he did then lay
iniquity upon Christ, when he obliged himself to it; you know
when a man once enters into bond, though peradventure the
day of payment may be some months, or years, after the bond
is sealed; yet when he enters into bond, he delivers that as his
act and deed; at the first instant of the sealing of the bond, then
Is the thing done ; other specialties, it may be, are cancelled,
and the whole debt remains according to the tenor of the bond.
So when the Lord entered into bond, he tied himself to lav
iniquity upon Christ; then was his act and deed; then were
all the specialties cancelled, as they were charged upon us ;
and when was that? It was from all eternity; I say, God tied
himself Irrevocably then to lay iniquity upon Christ, even from
all eternity; then he did it in his own determinate counsel; I
mean, when in his own council, he determined it should be done.
God's determination and resolution, that Christ should bear the
sins of men, were the act of God's laying them upon him ; and
though, unhappily to this church, the everlasting decree, and
doctrine of God's election of men, hath been, and is still, sup-
pressed as a dangerous truth ; yet you must know, beloved, that
the foundation of all the gracious acts of God, was laid in this
decree of election ; the Lord sat down, as a man may speak with
reverence, by himself, and drew out a draught of all the particular
})assages, especially concerning his own people, how he would
order and dispose every thing In Its season ; and, in this eternal
council, he set down his fiat. It should be so ; and this fiat of the
Lord, from all eternity, did make the thing itself an irrevocable
act. You know, that the royal assent makes an act, and it is a
346 OUR SINS ALRSADY LAID ON CHRIST.
real statute; councils having contrived before, that which it
yields unto. Now it may be, that that which royal assent makes
an act, may not be of present use ; that is, people may not have
present occasion of such an act ; suppose it be an act ot grace
yet, notwithstanding, from the first instant of that assent, it hath
as much force in it, as when occasion of use cometh, wnich is
derived from it : so also the act of laying of iniquity upon Christ,
that, that gives being to it, as an act, and so gives life to it, is the
royal assent of God. When God first set his assent that iniqiiit f
should be borne by Christ, this made it an act as firm, good, and
true, as ever will be. When a man hath occasion to make use of
a statute of grace, there is no addition of force, added to it, when
it is sued out for use ; it hath no more virtue in itself, than at the
first instant, when the royal assent was put to it: when we, in
time, by the grace of the Lord, make application of this, that our
iniquities are laid upon Christ; this application of ours, gives
not any being at all unto the thing ; the grant, that had as much
stirength and force in it, at the first assenting to it, as it "hatli
when it is applied, or as ever it will have. Now, beloved, this is
certain, that the royal assent is a binding act, even from the very
instant of it; kings, when they give it to an act of grace, are not
only bound to make it good, when any person sues it out, but
they themselves are bound at that instant, when they passed it,
that they cannot revoke it. The Lord, it is true, was free in
himself how to dispose of the sins of men; but when he had
contrived for his own glory's sake, and his people's good, that
their iniquities should be transacted to Christ, this counsel,
though secret within his own breast, obliged him for ever to the
thing: the Lord is unchangeable, " I am God, and change not,
therefore ye, the sons of Jacob, are not consimied," Mai, iii. 6.
Now, beloved, should tliere be any time in which the Lord should
not lay iniquity upon Christ, after his forme;- assent to it, how
could he be unchangeable ? He did assent then, now he will
not; is not this changeableness ? So that ihe whole truth,
faithfulness, and uprightness of God, is tied to make good the
everlasting laying of iniquity upon Christ, by virtue of this act
of his own assert to it.
(2.) As there was a secret obligation upon God, which was
from all eternity, to lay iniquity upon Christ ; so there is a
public and manifest tie upon him, when he openly, in the lace
OUR SINS ALREADY LAID ON CHRIST, 347
of his people, and to them binds himself, even to their appre-
hensions, that they see that he is obliged to it ; then did the
Lord lay the iniquity of his people upon Christ openly, when bo
did openly bind himself by covenant to do it ; and that he did.
from the first moment they were in any transgression what-
soever. When Adam, as a common person, had sinned for
him.self and his whole posterity, the Lord bound himself by pro-
mise and covenant, to secure his people from such transgression
by his Son Christ ; " I will put enmity between thy seed and
her seed, (speaking to the serpent of the woman, that is. Eve)
he shall break thine head, and thou shalt bruise his heel," Gen.
iii. 15. As if he had said, thou hast got a great catch by
getting the sons of men under thy clutches, as thy prey ; thou
hast bruised his heel by reason of transgression ; but the seed
of the woman shall break thine head ; the head, that is the seat
of principality ; therefore, they that have the principality are
called heads in scripture. Now, saith the text, " He shall
break thine head ;" that is, that, wherein consisteth thy chiefest
strength, shall be bruised and broken to pieces ; because that,
Avherein the strength of headship lieth, shall be taken away from
thee ; the seed of the woman shall take away sin, wherein the
headship of Satan lieth. Now, as soon as the Lord had pub-
lished this to men, he was under bond, that iniquity should be
borne by Christ.
Now you are not to conceive that this publication of God's
grace is the first act of it by him, he having acted it in his
councils long before ; therefore the apostles being met together,
on occasion of persecution, began to pray, and in prayer had
tkis clause, " They have done (speaking of their cruelty to
Christ) whatever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to
be done," Acts iv. 28, By which it plainly appears, that the
act is not passed really in being in the publication of it ; which
is but an issue flowing from this first spring, from whence it
derived its original; namely, the determinate council of the
Lord. It was upon record in heaven before ; now, upon occa-
sion, the record is taken out and published. As I said before, it
is royal assent, which gives being to an act of grace; it is not
the publication of it in print, and making it known to the world,
that gives being to it a jot ; indeed that gives people the com-
iort of it, but royal assent give-s being to the thing; publica-
318 OUR SINS ALREADY LAID ON CHRIST.
tion dotli not give so much as confirmation to it ; only it gives
settlement of spirit to the staggering hearts of people, that
know not what to do, nor where to set the sole of their feet for
rest, till they have this grace published ; and then venture them-
selves upon it when published.
Concerning the laying of iniquity upon Christ, he doth not
make a new act ; all that he doth is but the publication and
manifestation of it ; not that the Lord is bound now, and not
before, but that we might know he is bound, and have the
stronger consolation. In Eph. i. 4, the apostle speaks expressly
and fuUv touching God's eternal act, that gives being to this
grace of laying iniquity upon Christ ; and also, that, by Avhich
persons reap the fruit of it, when they come to know it ; he
saith, " He hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the
world," And afterwards he tells us, this reaches to the " for-
giveness of our sins." There you shall find, that though the
Lord was pleased to publish this grace, concerning the laying of
iniquities on Christ, yet it hath not its beginning then, but
" before the foundation of the world was laid." In brief, you
must know, that though sin in creatures was not actually in
being from all eternity ; nay, though Christ, as having a body
prepared, was not himself in being from eternity ; yet the omni-
present eye of God, that forecasts things with himself, that
afterwards should come to pass, had every particular person in
his thoughts from all eternity, that should come in all after
time, and before him they appeared, as if they had been actually
existing then ; and he had not only their persons, but in this
omnipresent eye of his, he had every such transgression, that by
every such person as his own, should from the first to the last of
their being, be committed ; he had all this at once in his eye.
And having this platform before him, as if all were then in
being, he sets down his own act of royal assent, that for every
such transgression that should be committed at such and such a
time, by such and such persons, he would accept of Christ
whom he would fit to bear their transgressions ; and, that from
eternity to eternity, the Lord reckons all things as he had then
and there set them down. We actually commit sin to-day, yes-
terday, and so shall again to-morrow ; in the eternal councils of
God, the very sin of this day *, of yesterday, and to-morrow,,
• Heb. iv. 1.3,
OUR SINS ALREADY LAID ON CHRIST. 349-
vrere all open in the eyes of God ; the Lord, from all eternity
looking upon these transgressions, assented to this, that Christ,
for whom he would prepare a body, should indeed, in time,
actually bear them all ; but, in God's own account they must bo
reckoned as borne from all eternity by Christ, by way of obli-
gation. Thus you see how the Lord, by way of obligation, lays
the iniquities of his people upon Christ, and when he did thus
lay them on him.
2. The Lord did lay the iniquities of his people upon Christ
l)y way of execution ; I mean thus, he laid iniquity upon him,
as he did, in time, serve the execution upon him : as I told you
before, a man makes himself actually a debtor, when he first
enters into bond, and he goeth all that time for a debtor, from
the sealing of the bond ; but the debt is properly laid upon
him when an execution is served upon him, and he is caused to
make good the bond, and pay the debt ; now is he actually
called to account. The Lord, from all eternity, reckoned Christ
to be the bearer of the transgression of his people ; but in time
he served the execution upon him.
Now it would be questioned when it was, that the Lord did
this ; that is, when he actually and really charged sin upon
him ?
For the understanding of this, you must know that there is a
twofold serving the execution upon Christ : it may be consi-
dered either virtual, or actual, and real. The execution is
served upon Christ in the virtue of it, from the first instant that
ever there was a transgression committed ; and not only when
first committed, and from thence to the time of his suffering, but
also afterwards, from the time he suffered, to the end of the
world. You must of necessity admit of this distinction between
the virtual and actual serving of the execution upon Christ ,
and the ground of it is this, that though the Lord took Christ
for paymaster for all the sins in the world that the elect would
be guilty of; yet he was pleased to give him a long day of pay-
ment; the debt indeed run on from the fall of Adam, and so
continued, and will continue to the end of the world ; but
Christ was not to come into the world till the fulness of time.
Gal. iv. 4, 5, " And, when the fulness of time was come, God
sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, that
he might redeem them that were under the law, that we might
350 OUR SINS ALREADY LAID ON CHRIST.
receive the adoption of sons ;" therefore, it must follow, that
either there could be no discharge from the time of the first
commission of sin, till Christ appeared in the flesh ; or, that
before the actual payment that Christ made, there was the virtue
of laying iniquity upon him ; by which there was a discharge
given before he had actually paid the debt.
To clear the point a little to you, consider, a man sends his
son to the university, to such a tutor, who knows he is a rich
man, and therefore, he saith, I will agree with you thus ; 1 will
teach your son so many years, and, at three years' end, you shall
pay all the arrear for the time past ; and whatsoever it will come
to for three years more. Now the father, according to the
aoreement made, comes at one time, and reckons for all that is
past for the tutorage of his sou, and lays down that all at once ;
and, for the time to come, saith he, there is so much more, I will
pay all that too, and make but one payment of all. So it is with
Christ, he takes upon himself to discharge all the transgressions
of those to whom it is given to believe ; the Lord takes Christ
for it, he knows he is one that is mighty, and is contented
therefore to lay his help upon him : now the time runs on from
the first sin committed, till the fulness of time that he comes ;
here is no payment all this while, no not of a farthing ; yet God
still discharges men of their sins ; he discharged Abraham,
Isaac, and David, and all the rest of the Fathers ; and " blessed
they were in that their iniquities were forgiven, and their sins
were covered," Psal. xxxii, 1. Here God acquits these believers
under the Old Testament, but where is the payment ? All this
while he hath no satisfaction yet ; why, he depends on Christ
for satisfaction when the day of payment comes ; and so satis-
faction is made virtually before it be done by Christ actuallv :
and so for after-times ; Christ came in the fulness of time, and
reckoned with the Father, and he hath so much of him for all
that is past, and as much for after-times to the end of the world;;
saith Christ to the Father, here is so much for every one of
mine, that they have run out for the time that is past ; and here
is so much for every one of them that shall come after ; they will
commit so many sins in time to come ; here is so much for all
that they shall commit.
Now there was a pitched time wherein God served execution
actually upon him ; and that was when God forsook this Son o '
OUR SINS ALREADV LAID ON CHRIST, 351
his ; when he called him forth, and charged sin upon him, and
laid load upon load on him, as the desert of transgression *.
Beloved, you know what our Saviour saith himself, " My God,
my God, why hast thou forsaken me ?" Now was the execution
served, and God charged the payment upon him, when he said,
" I am heavy unto death; Father, if it be possible, let this cup
pass from me ;" here was the time of payment, and of satisfying
God. This was the very time of the end of seventy weeks,
wherein there was an end put to sin, and the finishing of trans-
gression : and you must know this, beloved, that, in this laying
iniquity upon Christ by way of execution, there was the matter
of the greatest trust in the world, between God the Father and
his Son Christ : it had been a toilsome thing to Christ to pay
every debt, one after another, as it was taken up ; and therefore,
to save all this trouble, God was contented all should be paid at
once ; and likewise that Christ should do all in equality of time ;
not pay all at first, nor at last, but in the middle time; as if a
man were to take up wares at several times, some at the begin-
ning of the year, and some at the end of it, and pay all his money
at the middle of it: so was it between God and his Son;
something was to be paid at the beginning of the world : and
something at the end of it ; now to make an equality, Christ pays
all at the middle time, or some good time before the end ; God
is content to trust him from the beginning until the fulness of
time : and he did so trust him, that he discharged all the sins of
the elect before payment, as if already done. At the fulness of
time, Christ comes and pays all for the time past, and so
dischargeth that trust of God the Father upon him ; and more-
over pays to the full for all the sins that should be committed
afterwards ; so that now the Son trusts the Father, that he will
reckon right with him, and deal justly with him. The price Is
* This 13 charged as an error by D. W. in his Gospel-Truth, &c. p. 28, that the tiino
wien our sins were actually laid on Christ was when he was nailed to the cross hut the
Doctor does not say, that this was the first time sin was charged upon him, and he bore
it ; for he after observes, that God charged it upon him in the garden, w hen he was
heavy unto death, and said, " If it he possible let this cup pass from me ;" thoiigh, when
he was offered upon the cross as a sacrifice for sin, was more properly and precisely the
time-when sin was charged and laid upon him, and he bore it; the apostle says, That
" Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many," Heb. ix. 28 ; so that it was when
he was offered up, that sin was laid upon him, and he bore it ; yea, he was offered up,
that it might be done, and appear to be done: the apostle Peter is still more express
for this ; " Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree," 1 Pet. ii. 24 ;
hence it appears, that it was upon the cross that sin was charged, and the load was laid,
and there borne.
352 oun SINS already laid on ciirist.
fully paid into the hands of the Father, for all ttie elect to the
end of the world, at that instant that Christ suffered; yet the
value of this price is to be made out many hundreds of years
after ; wherein the Father is to give out unto man the worth of
that Christ paid, even to the end of the world, as if he had not
been paid before.
So that, in brief, look upon the execution, or rather the
serving of the execution, that is, the actual laying iniquity upon
Christ; this was done at that instant when he was upon the cross,
and God nailed the sins of men to it ; and from that time there
was not one sin to be reckoned either to believers, who are the
members of Christ, or to himself; he having then made satisfac-
tion, and upon it given out to the world, " it is finished :" what
was finished ? the payment of the price so long looked for. The
utmost farthing is now laid down, therefore the prophet Isaiah,
in his 53d chapter, saith expressly, that when the Lord beheld
the travail of his soul, he was then satisfied, when the work of the
Lord was in the hand of Christ ; that is, when he was actually
managing the business of bearing the weight of sin ; then the
pleasure of the Lord prospered on him ; then the work went on
with such success in his hand, that it prospered; then came this
issue of his labour, that he obtained his father's pleasure that he
aimed at ; when the thing comes into the hands of Christ, then
the pleasure of the Lord goeth on.
There yet remains one thing very considerable, and that is the
application of this grace to particular persons, and the time when
the Lord comes to this man, and to that woman, and calls out
persons particularly, and applies it to them, as the grace of this
person individually, " Thy iniquity is laid upon Christ." This
requires more time to open it, than now we have ; and therefore
m the afternoon we shall have opportunity elsewhere.
353
SERMON XXIir.
OUR SINS ALREADY LAID ON CHRIST.
ISAIAH liii. 6.
AND THE LORD HATH LAID ON HIM THE INIQUITY OF US ALL.
I HAVE elsewhere made some progress in these words ; which
indeed contain in them the fulness of the mystery of free-grace.
It is iniquity itself, as well as the punishment of it, that the Lord
laid upon Christ: he bare the sins of many, as well as he was
wounded for them : this is a real transaction ; Christ stands as
very a sinner in God's eye, as the reprobate, though not as the
actor of sin ; yet as he was the surety, the debt became as really
his, as it was the principal's before it became the surety's ; and
this translation of our iniquities from us unto Christ, is the sole
and only act of the Lord himself; none but he could lay iniquity
on him.
The fourth thing considerable in the words, is, " The Lord
hath done it already :" it is not, the Lord doth lay, or will lay,
iniquity upon Christ; but he hath laid it upon him : the business
is not to be done now. Thou hast, peradventure, this da}- com-
mitted this, and that, and the other sin ; yet the Lord is not now
to lay it upon Christ : it is done long ago.
We have entered upon this point elsewhere this morning : and
here I briefly propose to you this, for the better clearing of the
time, when the Lord laid iniquity upon Christ ; and I will leave
it with you as a caution to distinguish between the Lord's act of
laying iniquity, and the believer's act of applying this grace to
himself When we believe our iniquities are laid on Christ, is
one time ; when God lays them, is another : God, long before
we believed, laid them upon Christ ; and, when we believe, the
foundation of it is an ancient grant that we find upon record,
enacted and entered long ago : faith hath a word of truth, if it
be true faith, whereupon it builds ; it looks not for present
2a
354 OUR SINS ALREADY' LAID ON CHRIST
revelation of things not extant before, but takes them as it finds
them upon record. When the record is first entered, nay, when
the act was first made, from whence it was entered, then was the
grant ; then God did his part in laying iniquity upon Christ ;
and we, in time, by the grace of the Lord given to us, to
believe, find out his ancient grant, which now at believing, be-
comes apparent, and so comes our application. Application is,
at present, or may be hereafter ; but the laying iniquity itself, is
an act passed long before by God.
For the better understanding of God's laying iniquity upon
Christ, when he did it, there are these three things consi-
derable.
1. The Lord's laying iniquity upon Christ by way of obliga-
tion.
2. By way of execution. ,
3. By way of application of this benefit to us.
1. God's act of laying iniquity upon Christ by way of obli-
gation ; so he laid it upon him, as soon as ever he was bound to
it ; a bond is a man's act and deed before payment. As soon as
ever God bound himself, the iniquity was laid upon Christ ; for
he had forfeited his own faithfulness, if he had not fulfilled it.
Now the time wherein he thus laid it on Christ, was from all
eternity. Royal assent gives being to any act of grace. Before
there could be any believing of this grace, God's assent, by his
determinate counsel*, gave being to it.
2. Then there was the laying iniquity on Christ by way of
execution ; Christ from all eternity stood engaged to answer for
all the sins of the elect, but God gives him a long day of pay-
ment. There is a twofold laying iniquity upon Christ by way of
execution, the one virtual, the other real and actual : the virtual
laying iniquity on Christ, was long before payment, but the
other at it. Abraham sinning, his sins were laid on Christ ;
God laid his execution upon him, for the sins of Abraham ; and
yet, notwithstanding, Christ was not actually called to account,
where observe, that here was but a virtual execution served
upon Christ, not the actual ; the real and actual way of execu-
tion is, or rather was, when Christ actually stood out, and had
the load of sin pressing him down, saying, " My God, my
God, why ha&t thou forsaken me ?" Now sin actually lay upon
• Acts iv. 28.
OUR SINS ALREADY LAID ON CHRIST. 355
him : " Your iniquities (saitli the prophet) have separated you
and your God :" when iniquity came once to separate, then was
it actually laid upon Christ; he himself was separated from his
Father, and then did he bear iniquity; then was he called to
account for it : but I hasten.
3. There is one thing more very considerable, that is, the
Lord's laying iniquity upon Christ, by way of application ; I
mean, when it is that the Lord singles out this, and that, and the
other person now present, and takes your very sins you have
committed, and shall hereafter, and lays them upon him. Con-
ceiTiing the elect in general, as they were in the eye of the
Lord, before they had a real existence, so all their iniquities
were laid upon Christ from eternit}-; but it must needs be
granted, beloved, that the particular application of this grace to
persons, that the Lord hath laid mj, and thy iniquities upon
Christ individually, must needs be in time. Before a man is in
being, there cannot be a personal application of the grace of
God unto him; God cannot apply his grace to nothing. Though
in his eye he may apprehend a person as being, though not
actually, and so reckon Christ as a sinner, instead of him, when
he be ; yet to say to such a one by name, thy iniquities are laid
upon Christ; and the Lord reckons thee in person, as such a
one who hath not one iniquity he can charge upon thee, this is
done in time. Now it will be worth the while, to know when
the Lord singles out particular persons, and when this grace of
laying this man's iniquities upon Christ, is appropriated by him
to him; for you must know, that there is a twofold appropriation
of God's grace of laying iniquity upon Christ. There is God's
application, and man's application ; God's application is, when
he himself says from heaven, that he loves this very person ; and
that his iniquities are carried away by Christ. Man's applica-
tion is, when God gives to him to believe, and by this act to bo
persuaded that he hath done it : we are yet upon the first kind
of application, when the Lord himself applies to such a parti-
cular person, that his iniquities are laid upon Christ.
In the clearing of this, beloved, I must tell you, I dare not
confine myself to the judgment of any man under heaven ; nor
pin my faith upon any man's sleeve ; to conceive such a thing
truth, because such men speak it ; and therefore I shall desire
vou, if you be sincere, and mean that the word of the Lord shall
2 A 2
;i;56 ouu SINS already laid on christ-
be your guide, to resolve you in such comfortable truths, to
mind not so much what I, or any man say, as what the Lord
himself saith ; and according to the clearness of the Lord in his
own word, so set you up your rest.
And that you may be the better resolved of this truth, so
:nuch inquired into, when- the Lord laid my, and thy iniquities,
upon his Son Christ ; know that he laid the iniquities of every
elect person two ways upon him; 1. Secretly; 2. Manifestly
and openly: in the secret application of this grace unto a man,
he hath a full discharge ; and in the manifestation hereof, in the
second way of application, he hath the comfort of it
As- concerning the Lord's secret applying unto a person, the
grace of laying his iniquity upon Christ; I shall desire you,
beloved, (that you may see in one view, both how the Lord did
this, and the time when he doth it : it is a secret thing, for a
lime, to those for whom he doth it,) to look into Rom. ix. 10, 11,
12, 13, a place very wdl worth your consideration, that hath
been much canvassed; yet, for all this, I see the evidence of the
Spirit of the Lord, is not so fully seen as possibly it might be.
The apostle there tells us, of the admirable free grace of God,
and how that the Lord in shewing mercy, intends that it may
appear to all the world, that what he doth, is merely and solely
of grace, and for his own sake; and for the illustration of it, he
bringeth in an example of Rebecca and her sons, Jacob and
Esau, saying, " When Rebecca conceived by one, even by our
father Isaac, the children beiaig yet unborn, neither having done
any good or evil, (that the purpose of God, according to elec-
tion, might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth) it was
said unto her, the elder shall serve the younger ; as it is written,
Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated :" mark the words
well, I pray you. Out of this passage, I shall note these parti-
culars to you : first, you have here expressed the Lord's declaring
himself personally and individually to the one, Jacob, I mean,
that he loved him : there was a love fi-om eternity to him, as he
was among the rest, in the election of grace ; but mark it well,
beloved, till there was a single individual person, as Jacob, the
Lord did not say, " Jacob have I loved ;" therefore, you shall
sec, here is a personal singling out of Jacob by name, distinct
from any other whatsoever, and a love pronounced to him,
" Jacob have I loved."
OUR SINS ALREADY LAID ON CIIRIST. 357
Then consider next, what kind of love this \v;is, that the Lord
here pronounces on Jacob ; it is a love that is opposed to the
hatred, wherewith he hated Esaa; now what kind of hatred was
that ? You know the hatred of Esau, was a hatred of rejection ;
the love of Jacob, then, was a love of acceptance ; a love,
wherewith he received him as one of his own : now then con-
sider, when the Lord first began personally to fasten this his
love, the love of his justification; the text saith, "When they
were not yet born, neither had done good or evil, that the pur-
pose of God might stand, according to election, not of works, but
of grace, it is said, Jacob have I loved : " as much as to say, the
Lord did not tarry some space of time after Jacob had a being
till he called him, and then pronounced love unto him, as if
there had been no love to him till he was called ; but before he
came into the world, while he was yet in the womb ; nay, when
he was first conceived, the Lord pronounced, " Jacob have I
loved ;" and yet this was a secret, that there was any sudi thing
as love to him ; he being yet in the womb, and not capable to
understand that God did thus love him : so that it is plain,
there is a secret passing over of the grace of God, into the
possession of a particular person, before he can know it ; and
this hath its being in the very conception, as soon as he hath any
being.
From whence I gather this conclusion, that God applies or
appropriates, unto his elect, his grace of discharge from all
iniquity, and his love, at the very instant that such a person liath
a being in the world.
I am not ignorant, how men differ in their judgments about
God's first applying his grace unto the sons of his election : some
think that God never applies pardon of sins to them till tlicv
be called and manifestly converted, but this cannot be; Jacob
could not be called in the womb, but he was beloved in it, with
such a love, as was opposed to the hatred of Esau. And others
affirm, that the Lord first appropriates justification to persons
when they are baptized, and not before; this cannot be neither;
for (whereas circumcision had the place of baptism) Jacob was
declared manifestly to be beloved before circumcision ; and in
Rom. iv. 10, the apostle (speakii'g of Abraham's faith) saith c.\-
jyressly, that the Lord justified him, " not being in circum-
cision, but in uncircumcision ;'' then the Lord singled liim
Q')8 OUR SINS ALREADY LAID ON CHRIST.
out, and possessed him of his own grace before ever he was
circumcised.
Let me tell you, beloved, I conceive people are much mis-
taken, and exceedingly trouble their own spirits in vain, about
the time when the Lord should give them their possession of this
orace of laying their iniquities upon Christ. It is thought by
some, that in case such a person should happen to die before
God call him to grace, and give to him to believe, that he had
been damned ; and that elect persons are in a damnable estate,
in the time they walk in excess of riot, before they are called.
Let me speak freely to you, and, in so doing, tell you, that the
Loi'd hath no more to lay to the charge of an elect person, yet
in the height of iniquity, and in the excess of riot, and commit-
tino- all the abominations that can be committed; L say, even
then, when an elect person runs such a course, the Lord hath no
more to lay to his charge, than he hath to lay to the charge of a
believer ; nay, he hath no more to lay to the charge of such a
person, than he hath to lay to the charge of a saint triumphant
in glory*. It is true, such an one, not called, is never able to
know individually of himself, that he is one that God hath
nothing to charge upon him; because, till calling, God gives
not unto men to believe, and it is only believing that is evidence
to men of things not seen. Things that are not seen, are hidden,
and shall not be known ; I mean, the things of God's love shall
not be known to particular men, till they believe ; but, consider-
ino- their real condition, the Lord hath not one sin to charge
upon an elect person, from the first moment of conception, till
* Not that the sins of God's elect, in a state of unregeneracy, are not sins ; or that
they are not guilty of sin ; nor that they are not deserving of the wrath of God, for they
are " children of wrath even as others ; " or that they are not under the same sentence
of condemnation : hut then, as the elect of God, as they are redeemed hy Christ, and
as he has had their sins laid upon him, and made full satisfaction for them, as full as
for the saints in heaven, no more charge can he hrought against them by the justice jaf
God than ao-ainst these; nor is it possible that they should come into a state of actual
condemnation and death, or suffer the vindictive wrath and justice of God : it should
be observed, that this is said in opposition to some, who thought elect persons in a
damnable state, before calling : that judgment is come upon them to condemnation
sentontially, as they are considered in Adam, and transgressors of the law, is owned ;
and that their sins are deserving of eternal damnation will be granted ; but that there
is a possibility of their being damned, must be denied; or the election of God would
not stand sure ; redemption, by Christ, would be in vain, and his satisfaction must be
void ; they are as secure from damnation before calling, as after, though they have not
the knowledge, sense, and comfort of it, till they believe. The Doctor says not, that a
man living and dying in such a state shall be snved; but that an elect person sh.i"J be
saved who shall boliove, be changed in heart and life. See the Doctor's own answer,
to the charge against him for these words, in his Serm. on Cant. iv. 7-
CUn SINS ALREADY LAID ON CIIKIST. 359
the last miiuite of his life; there is not so much as originaT sin
to be laid on him ; and the ground is, the Lord hath laid it on
Christ already : when did he lay sins on him 1 when he paid the
full price for them. Now, suppose this person, uncalled, com-
mits iniquity, and that this is charged upon him; seeing that his
iniquities are laid upon Christ already, how comes it to pass they
are charged upon him again ? How come they to be translated
from Christ again, and laid upon him ? Once they were laid
upon Christ it must be confessed: " For the blood of Christ
cleanseth us from all sin," 1 John i. 7 ; and " by one sacrifice
he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified," Heb. x, 14.
Was there, by one act of Christ, the expiation of sins, and all at
once, that are committed from the beginning of the world
to the end of it? How comes it to pass that this and that
sin should be charged upon the elect, when they were laid upon.
Christ long before ? He did, by that one act of his, expiate all
our sins, or he did not : if he did not expiate them fully, then he
did not " save to the uttermost all that come to God by him;"
but, if he did, then all iniquity is vanished and gone ; he ex-
tracted it out, as some plaister, of excellent virtue, extracts out
the venom of a plague-sore; so Christ, by once oiFering up him-
self, took away all the sins of the elect at once.
Therefore, beloved, I cannot see what the instant of time may
be wherein the Lord hath not yet taken the sins of such an elect
person, and laid them upon Christ; suppose the distance of time
between birth and baptism, which is the nearest time any man
comes to ; now, before baptism, where lie these iniquities ? an
elect person is conceived in sin, as David was, what becomes of
it ? where lies it ? doth it lie upon him now ? Then was it not
laid upon Christ before, and so his blood hath not cleansed from
all sin ; he hath not borne all the transgressions of his people ;
he hath not perfected for ever them that are sanctified by one
sacrifice upon the cross. He that hath one sin lying upon him,
is not perfect till that be taken from him ; but saith the apostle,
" By one sacrifice he hath perfected for ever them that are
sanctified;" but it seems by this, that he hath not perfected
them ; here is a middle time, or some time wherein such a person
is not perfect ; for there is no perfection while there is sin: if
tbfve be sin upon persons, how can such be perfect? Therefore
know, beloved, to your abundant comfort, that every elect vessel
3G0 , OUR SINS ALREADY LAID ON CHRIST.
of God, from the first instant of his being, is as pure in the eyes
of God, from the charge of sin as he shall be in glory ; no more
sin shall be reckoned to him now, than he shall have in heaven :
the saints in heaven, how came they to be pure and holy, but
only thus, Christ bare their iniquities for them, and paid the
price of their transgressions? for if they had gone to heaven, and
he had not borne them, they must have carried them with them ;
their purity is, that he bore their iniquities, and how did he bear
the iniquities of a saint in heaven ? it is all one with his bearing
the sins of an elect person in the womb ; the scripture makes no
such difference, that he bore the sins of the one more, and other-
wise, than the sins of the other ; but he equally perfected all the
elect at once. The saints in heaven were no sooner perfected,
than the elect child in the womb, save that there is a distance of
time between the first being of the one, and of the other ; for as
those now in glory had their first purity in the womb, so every
elect person now receives his there.
Beloved, I should be loth to put any new and strange things
into the minds of men, that are not fully consonant to the mind
of God recorded in the scripture ; but I see not how it can be
avoided, but that Christ's sacrifice must be an imperfect one, and
that it sanctified by halves, and degrees, and so he must do
something more than he hath done, except there be a complete
puro"ino- away of sin all at one instant : surely, Christ must do
somethino- anew, if something yet remain to be done ; if there be
any one sin in the world, concerning the elect, to be taken away,
he must come down again upon the earth to take it away ; if there
be but a farthing behind, he must come down again and pay
it before ever they be imperfectly acquitted : but Christ left
nothino- behind him imperfect ; and herein the apostle shews the
difference between Christ's priesthood and that after the order of
Aaron ; speaking of Aaron's, he saith, " There is a remembrance
of sin ao-ain every year ;" for that their sacrifices could not make
the comers thereto perfect, and therefore they were fain to rC'
iterate them ; but when Christ came, he offered himself up once
for all, and then ^' sat down at the right hand of God:" surely
Christ should have had no leisure to sit down, if any business of
his were to be done ; and if there be a remembrance of sin again,
there must be a new sacrifice, to take away those sins whereof
there is a remembrance ; so that if you suppose any elect person,
OUR SINS ALREADY LAID ON CHRIST. 361
at any tin.e, to have sin not yet taken away, Christ must come
again upo n the earth, and offer himself up again ; for " without
shedding of blood, there is no remission." Christ must come to
shed his blood again, if there be new sins to be remitted that were
not remitted before.
Beloved, this may be of use to you in some respect, in behalf
of your children ; suppose they die in the womb, as you have
many abortives ; the case of such a child is the same, and as good
as is the estate of a person that hath attained to the most evident
calling as ever man was called by ; for Jacob was beloved when
Rebecca conceived him, while yet he was in the womb ; and the
Lord appropriates and applies to such a person that grace of his,
the laying of his iniquity upon Christ.
I deny not but that the scripture speaks of a time of regenera-
tion ; but I desire you will understand, according to the mind of
the Holy Ghost, what this time is that is spoken of: I know it is
the time of calling, but this is no prejudice at all to the applying
of the grace of God, even from the womb. Take this regenera-
tion for the act of conversion, and that is done in time, and it
will amount to this ; that though God secretly gives over the right
and title of his own grace to a person in the womb, yet he doth
not make it known to him till he hath it, till such time as he calls
him: in Gal. iv. 1, 2, 3, the apostle, having spoken of the dif-
ference between the law and the gospel, that during the time of
being under the law, they were under schoolmasters, tutors, and
governors, saith, " When faith is come, we are no longer under
a schoolmaster ;" then he follows that with a fresh allegory, and
makes use of the similitude of an heir, and a child under aoe ;
*' Now this I say," saith he, " that the heir, so long as he is a
child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all :
but is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the
Father: Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage
under the elements of the world ; but when the fulness of time
was come, God sent forth his Son made of a woman, made under
the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might
receive the adoption of sons." "Wherein I observe,
1. That there is an heirship during childhood itself; " The
heir as long as he is a child," saith the apostle.
2. That there is this heirship when there is no difference be-
tween being a spn and a servant; " While he is a child, lie
302 OrU SINS Al.UEAOV LAll> ON CllKlST.
dl'^Ibrs notliinn- from ;i sorvant, tlioiii^h lu* ho lonX i)f all :*'
lii3 s an luMr, Ihouirli tluMV ho no liitVoronco between liinj and
a servant, dnring his childhood : what is the reason there is
no dilVereneo dnrino; that? *' IIo is," saith ho, " under tutors
and governors ;'' how doth he apply this I '" Even so we, when
we were children, were in bondage under the rudiments of
the world ; but when the fidness of time was come, he sent
forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to re-
deem them that were under the law, that wo might receive the
adoption of sons ;" as if he had said, there is a time when a per-
son is an heir under ago; and there is a time when ho comes to
enjoy that whereof he is an heir, and dilVers from a servant ma-
nifestly, as indeed in nature he doth, and did before : a child is
an heir, if the tirst born, as soon as ever born; nay, when he is
fii"st conceived in the womb. Suppose a man die estated in a
great deal of land, leaving his wife but a month gone with child,
he leaves his child as heir; yet for all this, there is a long time
in the womb, and also of education, in which this child is used
as a servant ; there is no diirerenco appears, he hath no more in
possession than a servant, yet this child is still an heir: so it is
with all believers ; the elect of God are the heirs of God ; and as
they are, so the tirst being of them puts them into the right of
inlieritauce ; he that is an heir born, is an heir the tirst moment
he is conceived: so that either you must allow, that there is a
time when an elect person is not an heir, or you must confess,
that there is no time but such a one is a child of God; and, as
such, is purged from all tilthiness of flesh and spirit ; purged, I
mean, by way of imputation, in the reckoning and account of
God: though sins be conunltted afterwards in respect of which
there may bo for a time no dilference between the life of an lieir,
and the life of a servant; yet as this person is an heir of all, so
none of this iniquity is reckoned to this person, nor ever shall
be in this life, nor in the life to come, though for the time he
doth not know it.
But some may be ready to object, How is it possible, that from
the first instant of an elect person's being, all his sins should be
reckoned as laid upon Christ, even from that instant ? Can a
sin be laid upon Christ before sin is existent ? Can sin be laid
upon Christ before sin is committed ?
1 answer, sin is laid upon Christ before it is ;
OUR SINS ALREADY LAID ON CUUIST.
303
surdity in reason itself to say so : you know it is possible a man
may buy out trespasses before he doth them ; suppose a man is
addicted to hawking and hunting, and must trespass upon his
neighbour's ground; he may lay down a good large sum at once,
that shall countervail all the trespasses that shall be done after-
wards ; beloved, shall any man say, that there was no trespass
borne, paid, and satisfied by Christ, because there was none
acted 1 what then shall become of all the elect that have been in
the world since Christ's coming, if there be not a real serving of
sin upon him, and satisfaction made by him, before sin be com-
mitted 1 What will become of the sins of the apostles, and of
the people of God since them? all their sins were committee
since the reckoning was made ; and if of particular persons in the
church, why not so of every particular elect person by himself?
If you shall have no more sins laid upon Christ, or reckoned to
him but what were committed before Christ made payment,
there will be none of our sins found to be laid upon him, for all
the sins we have committed, have been committed since Christ
suffered.
Secondly, some object, and say, Christ puts us upon our
prayer, and in prayer that God would forgive us our trespasses ;
How can our inio«ities be laid unon Christ already, when wo
are to pray that Qoa would lor^ive them to as? It is a vain
thino- for us to pray to God to forgive them, when they were long
ago forgiven.
I answer, they were reckoned to Christ long before we pray
for the forgiveness of them, and yet we do well in praying for
it We have a common answer known to all, there is a twofold
toro-iveness of sins, a forgiveness of sins in heaven, and in the
consciences of men. Forgiveness of sins in heaven, is that which
is acted by God alone ; forgiveness of sins in the consciences of
men is the manifestation of his former act. So then to pray for
it is no more but to pray that God would manifest to us that he
hath foro-iven our sins ; and that it may be clear that he hath for-
given them, before we pray for it ; and that prayer is grounded
upon God's act before-hand made.
Consider this one thing : I would ask this of you, you that
pray for forgiveness of your sins ; do you pray in faith, or nof?
If not, mark what the apostle James saith, chap. i. 6, '' l.vi
him ask in faith, tioOnnir wavering ; he tlmt wavereth, let ftiiu
24>i OVR SINS ALREADY LAID ON CHRIST,
not think he shall receive any thing of the Lord :" beloved, your
prayers stink in the nostrils of God, if you do not pray in faith.
Well, you pray in faith, you will say : if you do, if you pray for
the forgiveness of sin in faith, what is the ground of your faith ?
If you believe, you have a ground for it; you will say, the grant
and word of God is the ground of it. Well, if that be the ground
of your believing, then the grant hath a, being before your faith,
and so consequently before your prayer is made : as for example,
God promised forgiveness of sins; now sin was forgiven by him
as soon as ever he made the grant and record ; at that instant, it
was made, sin was forgiven, and God did his part in pardoning
the transgressions of his people. Well, then, if you pray in
faith that your sins are forgiven, upon this ground, because God
hath made this grant, and you find it upon record ; then it seems
your sins were forgiven you before your prayer was made. You
will say, God hath granted this before, and now you pray to
God that he would make good that to you which he hath granted
-iljefore. Beloved, what is this more than to make that evident
to you, and to give you the knowledge of that which he hath
before granted, that you may have the comfort of it ?
In brief, when people pray for any grace that God hath passed
over to men, all their prayer is, that he would make them per-
ceive that he hath done that for them in special; so that all our
prayers get no new thing of God that he hath not done before ;
only he is pleased, when people pray to him according to his own
mind, to meet with them in that ordinance, and then to mani-
fest to them what secretly he had done before for them.
To conclude. If so, here is a word of admirable comfort to
poor souls, in that bitter suspence they usually are: thou art in
a wavering condition ; I know not (sayest thou) whether God
hath laid mine iniquities upon Christ or no ; I hope well, that
Christ is at woi^i with the Father for me ; I hope I shall hear
well from him. Beloved, your suspence may fall to the ground ;
your business is done to your hand already ; there is not one
gone about to do it in heaven for you now, as if it were in the
power and pleasure of God to grant or not to grant : observe the
saying of the apostle, in Rom. x, 6, 7, &c. that you may have
the greater consolation that God intends to you, settledness of
spirit, that the pardon of sin is so firm that you need no more
look after it with fear or doubling ; where he follows his former dis-
OUR SIN'S ALREADY LAID ON CHRIST- 36/?
course, having largely disputed upon the frceness of God's grace,
he begins to draw towards a conclusion ; for he tells us there ex-
pressly, " That the righteousness, which is of faith, speaks on
this wise. Say not in thy heart, who shall ascend up to heaven 1
that is, to bring Christ from thence ; nor who shall descend into
the deep t that is, to raise Christ from the dead : but what saith
it 1 the word is nigh thee, in thy mouth and in thy heart ; and
this is the word of faith which we preach." Before you shall find
tlie apostle speaking of the establishing our own righteousness,
and neglecting the righteousness of God: and here he comes, in
the closure, to shew what this righteousness of God is, he
presseth so much upon men, and chargeth them with the neglect
of: it is as if he should say, You think, you must take a groat
deal of pains, by your own righteousness, to obtain the pardon
of your sins, and what would you have ? You will, you must,
climb up higher, and go down steps to do it : but, saith he, thd
righteousness of faith runs in another strain ; there will bo no
clambering up to heaven to fetch Christ down, nor going down to
hell to fetch him up ; there is no such thing to be done, nor re-
quired of you : he is come already, therefore you may save all
your pains, care, and fear; he is in your mouths and in your
hearts ; he is in you and with you, already ; as if he had said,
You may well save all your fears, cares, and doubts of your con-
dition, whether Christ hath obtained grace Avith the Father, on
your behalf in this point, or no : know that the work is done and
finished to your hand : the pardon is come down from heaven
already. You know what distraction and trouble must needs be
in tlie heart of a malefactor condemned to die, as long as his
pardon is in agitation, when he hath a friend gone to coiu't to
get it for him : he is now in hope that his friend Avill procure it;
he is by-and-by full of fear lest his business should miscarry,
and he be executed; but when the pardon is scaled, and he
knoweth it is done, when it is brought to him, and he hath it in
his hand, then his heart leaps within him, and he hath no joy
till then. I tell you, beloved, Christ is not. now gone to heaven
to get a pardon, but he hath got one under seal already ; it is
in your hands, and in your mouths, and at your doors ; it is
with you, and in you ; iniquity is laid on Christ already.
Well, hath he done it, and shall he change ? Will he not be
as good as his word ? Heaven and earth shall pass, but one
368 OUR SINS ALREADY LAID IN CHRIST.
word that he hath spoken shall not fall to the ground. When
Jacob had got the blessing, by deceit, from his father, yet, saiin
he, ''• I have blessed him, and he is blest, and shall be blessed ;"-
I have said it, and I will stand to it. Shall Isaac, a man, stand
to what he did in blessing, though out of a mistake ? and shall
the God of heaven and earth, that did such an act of blessing,
by laying iniquities upon Christ, not upon mistake, but upon
determinate counsel, go from his word? " Let God be true, and
every man a liar." This is like the law of the Medes and Per-
sians, that shall never be disannulled ; it is enacted and passed
under hand and seal, that he hath laid on Christ the iniquities of
us all
END OF VOLUME THE FIRST.
bishop's COUr.T, OLD ChlLSi,
DATE DUE
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